Every accomplished person I know can name someone who took an interest in them early. A teacher, a coach, a family friend who asked the right question at the right time and opened a door. Mentorship changes trajectories, and our young people deserve more of it.

 

That is why I joined the York Region Mentoring Plus Strategy as a one-on-one mentor to high school students and youth, offering advice on careers and the paths that lead to them. The sessions are practical. What does a career in public service actually look like? How do you choose between college and university? How do you recover when a plan falls apart? Young people rarely need someone to lecture them. They need someone to listen, take their ambitions seriously, and share honestly what the road ahead looks like.

 

I will tell you a secret about mentoring: the mentor gets as much from it as the student. These conversations keep me connected to how the next generation sees our city, what worries them, and what they hope for. That perspective makes me a better councillor.

 

Beyond one-on-one mentoring, I make time for the organizations our young people build themselves. I have participated in events organized by the Richmond Hill Youth Action Group, worked with high school youth leadership teams, and joined an educational forum for youth. The talent in those rooms is remarkable. These students are organizing, debating, and leading right now, in high school.

 

Supporting youth is the truest long-term investment a community can make. The student you mentor today becomes the nurse, the engineer, the entrepreneur, maybe even the councillor of tomorrow. When we show young people that their city believes in them, they return the favour by building their futures here. That is a trade worth making every single time.