Clark County’s Class of 2010 talks about their mentors

More than 5,300 high school seniors in Clark County will cross the stage to accept their diplomas in the coming days. Few achieved the feat alone.

Teachers, principals, counselors; coaches, pastors, tutors; mothers, fathers, siblings: All are examples of those who have changed the lives of Clark County’s 2010 graduates.

Whether offering advice during personal struggles or serving as a spiritual guide, providing assistance on college applications or helping an athlete achieve his or her goals, mentors have shaped the lives of many soon-to-be graduates.

The Columbian asked a handful of high school seniors to write about the people who have helped them prepare for the next chapters in their lives.

Anastasia Xiong

School: Washougal High School.

Age: 18.

Post-high school plans: Attend Eastern Washington University in Cheney.

Biggest fear: “Getting caught on fire. I hate fire.”

If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? “I would like to meet my grandfather. He passed away in Laos, and I would like to get to know him.”

Biggest regret? “Not spending more time with my younger brother. He passed away (five years ago) when he was 1.”

Mentor Catherine Sloan on Anastasia: “At Washougal High School, I think she’s been this quiet force of inclusivity. It’s been amazing to see her realize she is this powerful force. … I’ve learned a lot from Anastasia, probably more than I’ve done for her. I think she’s just got amazing things ahead of her. She has so much to offer the world. I think when she gets to college, she’s going to surprise herself.”

I met an amazing woman named Catherine Sloan in a program called Minds Matter that helps low-income high school students such as me. The moment I met Catherine, I knew she was going to make a difference in my life and help me to succeed. What makes this woman amazing is that she not only made an impact on me, but on others as well. Catherine is a hard worker and cares for those around her. She helps support me and is the spark to my success.

Catherine sacrifices her Saturdays to mentor me, and all this is volunteering on her part. While at Minds Matter, she works with me on applying to summer programs. The summer programs I attended were American University and Brown University, which couldn’t be possible without her. Catherine has opened my eyes to new things that I’ve never seen before. She taught me that education is very valuable and to take every advantage you have. Catherine always encourages me to do well and follow my dreams, even if it is tough.

I’ve never met such a kind-hearted woman as Catherine before. Catherine goes out of her way to help me in any way she can. She motivates me to do better and to succeed. She always encourages me to work hard and to not let anyone ruin my dreams. She pushes me to be better and know the important things in life.

With help from Catherine, I will be attending Eastern Washington University to follow my dream. Catherine has made me who I am today, and I am so grateful to have her as my mentor. She guided me through good and bad times, and I feel very fortunate to have her in my life. She devoted her time to helping me, and I will continue to look up to her and someday have an impact in someone’s life as she did in mine.

Nathan Blair

School: Battle Ground High School.

Age: 18.

Post-high school plans: Enjoy this summer and start working.

If you could be any animal, what would it be? “A phoenix (mythological bird), because then I can live forever.”

Biggest fear: Spiders or getting old.

Life motto: “Do what you have to do to go where you want to go.”

Nathan on enjoying life: “I like to be seen as a ham. I have a serious side, but that’s for old people and grandparents. I’d rather be as fun and crazy as I can be now. I want to be able to look back and say, ‘I was funny.’”

There are many individuals who have shaped me into the human being I am today.

One of those individuals really stands out from the rest of the crowd. This individual is the man who brought me into this world: my dad. He was born Marvin Smith Eugene Blair III, but after the divorce between my parents, he changed his name to Tre.

My father was a good man at heart; I know he truly cared about more than himself, but the path he chose begged to differ. My dad was an alcoholic and drank massive quantities of liquor every day; he’d lie on the couch passed out nearly every second I was away. One day, when I was 4, he was arrested, and I moved in with my mother.

After jail, he began using methamphetamine and developed serious health issues. He would go to the hospital, then be discharged for not obeying the rules, and he would take the IV and inject meth into it.

A few years ago, he was in a wreck and broke his ankle. He still used the IV to inject and contracted a staph infection. The infection became so terrible that his left leg had to be amputated.

Afterward, he quit drinking and doing drugs, and lived in pain and agony. About two months after his third heart attack, he died on June 2, 2008.

I have seen the ill effects of drugs and alcohol and even abandoning your own kin. Even the most negative things that occur in life, the things that hurt people the most, have a positive teaching, and those teachings should drive people to be the best they can be and live a positive life: a life they can share with their offspring, and they’ll learn to grow up successful and happy.

Scott Welch

School: Columbia River High School.

Age: 18.

Post-high school plans: Attend Seattle Pacific University to study physical therapy.

If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Brandon Roy.

Biggest regret? “Not being able to play more basketball. I’ve had a broken collarbone, a herniated disk and a torn labrum in both shoulders. Hopefully, I’ll walk on (play ball) at SPU.”

Mentor Scott Paulson on Scott Welch: “He had an openness to God. … What I appreciated was his willingness to listen and learn and consider it, not just because it was what his friends were doing. It just gave us a chance this year to talk about who God is and what it’s like to have faith in him. I really admire that.”

When I was asked to write this tribute, I was, first, honored and, second, stumped about who I should write it about. I have had a countless number of adults help me become the person I am today, so narrowing it down to just one special person was difficult.

After much thought and considerable procrastination on actually writing the tribute, I decided to write about my youth pastor, Scott Paulson. In hindsight, it should not have been as difficult a decision as it was. Scott has made an immense impact on my life in the short time I have known him, so it turned out to be a no-brainer to write this tribute to him.

I met Scott last July at a camp in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, run by New Heights Church. But it wasn’t until late February, when I came to church for the first time since I had shoulder surgery on Jan. 27, that we really got to talk and connect.

Since that day, Scott has gone out of his way to meet with me for coffee four or five times to just talk. We talked about school, life, and, most importantly, where I was spiritually. I had never had an adult go out of his way to meet with me like Scott did. His genuine interest in my life still baffles me. The love that he exhibits toward me and every single person that attends his church is almost Christ-like.

The lessons Scott has taught me, both through the examples he has set and the long talks we have had, will ride with me for the rest of my life, especially in college. But the most significant thing he did was lead me to God. Words can’t express how much I appreciate him for that.

Thank you, Scott.

Jesse Osborne

School: Hockinson High School.

Age: 18.

Post-high school plans: Attend Clark College for two years. Then transfer to Washington State University Vancouver to major in English and become a high school English teacher.

What’s one thing school didn’t teach you? “School never taught me how to stand up for myself or how to stand up for others.”

What’s playing on your iPod? Offspring. Led Zeppelin.

Life motto: “Life is tough. It’s tougher when you’re stupid.” — John Wayne

Mentor Ron Osborne on his son Jesse: “I think whatever he plans on doing, he’ll definitely be the best at it. He’s got a good attitude. He’s great with people; he’s a people person. A lot of people gravitate toward him. … He’s just a great kid. I’m really proud of him. He’s done a great job.”

Being a mentor is not only teaching someone a single subject or skill in life. Being a mentor is providing teachings and examples that can span over someone’s entire life and help them achieve anything they want in their lives. Mentor is a vague word to describe what mentors really are. They go past what regular teachers or instructors do. Being a mentor is the difference between teaching someone how to write a paper and finding the few things you love to write about.

I have had a few very good mentors in my life who have worked together to help craft who I have become as a person. I have those few people to thank for most of who I am today. But no one has taught me as much about being the best man that I can be in any situation than my dad. My father has worked hard his whole life to provide for my mom and his boys. He started out as a welder, then he built semi-trucks. He went on to drive those same trucks, become a Realtor and go through most of the schooling to be a nurse. The reason I look up to him more than any other person in my life is because he did this all for someone else.

My father has taught me, through example and word of mouth, what it really means to be successful in life. What it takes to be happy, how to follow what you want without ignoring your own self-interest, and the happiness of those you love and cherish, and how to be a good person.

There are kids out there who don’t have any type of mentor at all, no one there to give them reality checks or advice. They have no one to help them through hard times and to be there for them when they need it most. I feel for these kids because I know firsthand what having a good mentor can do for you.

Without my father, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. He has set the path for me to become a good citizen, a good friend, and most of all, a good person.

James Anderson

School: Union High School.

Age: 18

Post-high school plans: Attend Western Washington University to study business and music.

The man who is my first and most momentous mentor in my life is my father.

My father is a real estate appraiser, and he had to be educated, licensed, plus highly knowledgeable to become certified. He has exerted the most positive influence on me with his unbelievably wide and distinctive perspective on life. Someone who is capable of succeeding in the current financial downturn in the economy and still has the drive to succeed in life when many have failed is my hero.

My father taught me the love and passion of learning music and riding a motorcycle and taught me the steps to succeed beyond the average person. That is one thing I greatly appreciate as a gift. I am thankful that I have someone that I know will always be on my side, someone that will be there with me forever.

One thing that is breathtaking for me is that my father never had a father, so he never really developed the personality of being a father — not saying that he is not a good father, because he is an excellent father to me.

Due to a horrible accident I had at an early age, I was placed in special education classes in speech and writing skills throughout my elementary and middle school years. During my middle school years, I was getting poor grades in all of my classes and lacked motivation to do well in school.

My dad has had custody of me since middle school, and I have succeeded in exiting special education programs to the point where now I get excellent grades in all my classes. I have even taken the challenge of completing seven Advanced Placement classes during high school.

My father has given to me everything in life I could ever ask for, and for that I am thankful. My father has given me love and passion in music and business, and now I know I will succeed.

Minseon Song

School: Union High School.

Age: 18, moved from South Korea in eighth grade

Post-high school plans: Attend Whitman College to study mathematical science.

As I live, I got and am getting help from a lot of people.

All of them are important and influential to my life. But if I have to pick one, I would pick my eighth-grade ESL teacher, Mrs. Vilanueva.

She was my first U.S. teacher when I moved here, and she helped me out with English and American culture through the first couple years in the U.S., the toughest years for me.

She helped me until my sophomore year in high school with almost all the papers I had to write, textbook readings and even studying other social science classes. With her help, I was able to take regular English class in my freshman year, get out of the ELL program and pass the reading and writing WASL in my sophomore year and take AP social science class which involves a moderate amount of reading in junior year.

Not only did she help me with English, she also was my life mentor, listening to my concerns and stories. She was patient with me all the time while I went through some emotional hardships and was with me whenever I needed to talk to someone other than my mom.

Komivi Akengue

School: Battle Ground High School.

Age: 18

Post-high school plans: Attend Eastern Oregon University to play football and study sports medicine.

Cry Now, Laugh Later:

As an ex-Marine and wrestler, coach Aaron D. Chiles spent most of his time teaching kids how to succeed in life through wrestling. One of the best life lessons I learned from Coach Chiles’ is: “Cry now, laugh later.” Coach Chiles taught me how to win and lose respectfully.

I remember the first wrestling tournament I ever entered. I was scared, but with Coach Chiles on the side coaching me, I ended up taking second place.

To reach a goal, you have to work for it. Every cut, sweat and blood drop is a step closer to my goal. I learned this lesson painfully at times but was always laughing after the pain.

I am now one step closer to my goal, since I will be playing college football at Eastern Oregon University.

Thank you, Coach. I’m proud to be one of your “mentees.” I’ll always remember to “cry now, laugh later.”

Thank you to these other people in my life who have made me who I am today:

• Sheila McDonald … The best godmother a kid could ever wish for!

• Free Bryan … The best Big Brother ever!

• Johnathan Paul … Thank you for introducing me to football.

• Trilce Townsend … For teaching me that school can be enjoyable. She’s the best teacher ever!

(It is ka-MEE-vee a-KEN-gay.)

Matt Pollard

School: Mountain View High School.

Age: 18

Post-high school plans: Attend the University of Oregon to study business.

Looking back on my four years in high school, there are very few people who stand out as what I consider to be mentors. With this being said, these few people mean a lot to me and have helped me grow to be the person that I am today.

I can remember being in the eighth grade, forecasting for my freshman classes when I would be a Mountain View student. Sports marketing was the name of the class that sparked my interest most and, being a student who enjoyed athletics, I decided to forecast for this class. Little did I know that I would be placed in this class with a teacher who has greatly impacted my life.

Dave Johnson is one of the many career and technical teachers at Mountain View High School. When I first had the pleasure of being in his class, I thought it was difficult and oftentimes dreaded going to that class. The more I got involved with marketing and the sports side to it, the more I realized that this was eventually going to be the thing I want to do as a career.

Dave Johnson is a brilliant man who has taught me a lot about myself, as I have had the past four years of being a student in his class to foster a relationship. Dave Johnson is also the adviser for Mountain View’s DECA, which is the marketing program for high school students. Looking back as the current president of this club, I have seen how much I have grown not only as a student but as a person in the past four years.

My mentor, Dave Johnson, is mainly responsible for keeping me on track academically and has also taught me how to be a better person and student.

Helen Tam

School: Union High School.

Age: 18

Post-high school plans: Attend University of California at Berkeley and pursue dream job of working for the International Olympic Committee.

My family first met with Brian Grimsted, the principal at Union, before the school was built.

We were from Vancouver, B.C., moving to Vancouver, Wash., in 2007. He told us about his vision for Union High School: for it to be the best public school in Washington, if not in the West Coast.

I was impressed with the clear and ambitious goal he had for Union. Coming into this school, I was clueless about what I wanted to accomplish in high school and most importantly, my post-graduation plans.

My three years at the U and working with Mr. Grimsted have prepared me for what’s to come in my academic career. Neither of my parents attended college, so I was on my own for the college application process.

When I had interviews for Cornell University and Penn, Mr. Grimsted prepared me for this imperative part of the application process. As we discussed my responses to possible questions the interviewer could ask, it amazed me when he responded even better than I could about myself.

He helped me iron out the details for my applications, and when I was accepted to University of California at Berkeley, my dream school, I sensed that both of us felt accomplished.

I am fortunate to have a strong rapport with my principal, given it’s such a large school. I can talk to him about anything: whether it’s about advice for college, the best places to eat Vietnamese pho or simply to discuss how tennis season is going.

Talking with Mr. Grimsted is just like talking with a family friend. I feel that he is always supportive of everyone at Union and tries hard to recognize all the areas Union excels at. He guided me on the road to being a well-rounded student, athlete and musician at Union, which will undoubtedly prepare me to be successful at Berkeley.

Mr. Grimsted’s goal has been accomplished.

Francisco Ramirez

School: Columbia River High School.

Age: 18

Post-high school plans: Attend Clark College and begin working.

During my four years in Columbia River High School there has been one teacher who has pushed me and helped me get through school. Her name is Jois Brownstein.

I have had the privilege to be in her class all four years of high school. My first day as a freshman, I was nervous to meet all my teachers. What I heard about Mrs. Brownstein was that she was very strict.

I didn’t like “very strict” English teachers, because as a Hispanic, I wasn’t very good when it came to my English classes. When I met Mrs. Brownstein, she seemed like a nice lady, but she was strict. Mrs. Brownstein always pushed me to be better, to not give up, and to give it 110 percent. During my freshman year, my relationship with Mrs. Brownstein got better as the year went by. During my sophomore year, I looked at my class schedule and saw that I had Mrs. Brownstein as my English teacher again. When I talked to Mrs. Brownstein that year, she told me that she had requested me to be in her class.

Knowing this made me feel comfortable, because I had a good relationship with my teacher. As my sophomore year passed by, Mrs. Brownstein would help me whenever I wanted. She would correct my papers even though they weren’t from her class. She would even check on my grades from my other classes and ask me why I didn’t turn in an assignment.

During my junior year, I had Mrs. Brownstein as my English teacher again. I even became her teaching assistant. So I had her twice a day, every day, for my junior year. I would talk to her about my problems, and she would always have an answer for me. One time, she found out that I didn’t know my months in order, so she pushed me to memorize them. I still know the months in order and whenever I think about the month, I will always remember Mrs. Brownstein.

During my senior year, I didn’t have Mrs. Brownstein as a teacher. A couple days passed by, and I didn’t feel right, so I requested to switch classes and, luckily, I was able to switch into her class. She was very happy to see me in her class, and I was happy to be in there.

Even though I’m a senior, I still have problems with school, and I know I can go to Mrs. Brownstein whenever I need help. Thanks to Mrs. Brownstein, I never failed a class, and I’m still in school ahead in credits. I can surely say that Mrs. Brownstein helped me get through high school.

Brina Sych

School: Union High School.

Age: 17

Post-high school plans: Attend Western Washington University on a soccer and academic scholarship and study sports medicine.

When I think of someone who has drastically made a positive impact on my life, Todd Spike automatically crosses my mind.

I think of someone who has inspired me, encouraged me, and challenged me to better my character and personality to strive to be something more important. To me, he is a leader and a hero that I aspire to be. He has tremendous qualities that I would like to emulate in my own life as I continue to grow and develop as an adult. His ability to face adversity, and motivate and challenge others to excel to their absolute potential, inspires me to view the world with a more optimistic attitude and encouraging personality.

I admire him not only because he is my coach, counselor and a staff member here at Union, but because he makes a difference to so many people within the school.

He has encouraged me to tough out rough situations and has taught me how to interact with people when I may not agree with them or the ideals they may have. As a high school student, I have desired a lot of guidance in order to make sure that my life remains on the correct path and I make decisions that will positively impact my life.

By offering me assistance, he has been a positive role model throughout the hardships I have encountered. His admirable traits inspire me to want to make a difference in other people’s lives.

Dean Beyer

School: Mountain View High School.

Age: 18

Post-high school plans: Weightlifting training in California, with goal of competing in 2012 Olympics.

Making the decision to start high school at Mountain View instead of Camas High School after finishing middle school at Skyridge Middle School was a big decision influenced in large part by my father.

Spending countless hours in the weight room at Mountain View and viewing my progress has allowed me to see why my father has been such a substantial influence on my success. My upcoming Junior World competition in Bulgaria this month is sure evidence of this.

My father and coach, Ted Beyer, has contributed to my success as a person and an athlete in more ways I can consider. There were more than a few moments when I wanted to transfer to Camas High School. Thankfully, two of my greatest friends, Ryan Preuninger and Austin Hensley, understood my goals and interest in weightlifting. Matt Odore and other close friends from Mountain View also believed I could succeed and supported my goals.

My dad insisted I should fight through my decisions and eventually great things would happen. Considering how far I’ve come in school and in the weight room, I know this to be true. Five workouts a week till six o’clock and national lifting meets in Florida and Minnesota take dedication from a coach and an athlete.

Having that coach be your father brings the situation that much closer to home. It is obvious that although my father might be my mentor and coach, family and friends have also shown overwhelming support. Countless donations from close relatives and strangers alike have been given in response to funding my next lifting meet in Bulgaria.

I know that this overwhelming support and the inspiration to fight adversity from my father will lead me to great success in the future. For this I am truly grateful.