- Volunteers
For Irene Gorodyansky, serving as a JFCS mentor to a 16-year-old high school junior is a way of giving back to the Jewish community that helped her and her family when they emigrated from the former Soviet Union. But it is also a labor of love.
“I love working with teenagers,” says Irene, a UC Berkeley alum and now a doctoral student in psychology. “They’re at an age when you can have an impact on them … and they’re also a lot of fun.”
In addition to tutoring her student, Marisa, in math and SAT prep, Irene talks to her about her life experiences. The two also chat about the future—colleges Marisa might like, professions she might wish to explore.
“It’s important to Marisa that she can talk to an adult who won’t lecture her,” says Irene, “and that she sees me as someone who is isn’t perfect.
“Marisa is as much a role model to me as I am to her,” Irene continues. “She is inspirational. She plays the cello, acts in the school play, and volunteers in the community.”
Since the two began meeting, Marisa’s math scores have also shot through the roof. “She got an A- in a really hard math class,” says Irene. “I wish I’d had a mentor back in high school.”