The Mentor: The Search For a Mentor

“Kyla, what is a mentor?” asked Polly, as she stood outside the dance studio door. “My dad said I need a mentor, but I don’t know what a mentor is.”

Kyla, her best friend, another twelve year old, waited a moment before answering. “I don’t either.” she replied. “I could be your mentor, if you want.”

“How can you be my mentor?”

“By being your best friend, I guess,” said Kyla. “Maybe we should find out what a mentor is first. Then we’ll know how to find one. Maybe I need one too?”

“We could ask Miss Michaels,” suggested Polly. “She might get angry if we do, so that might not be such a good idea. She is such a wonderful dance instructor. I don’t want to upset her.”

“She knows everything about ballet, so maybe we should ask her first,” replied Kayla.

“What if we ask Mr. Perkins instead? He is a father-like teacher who I trust too. He might know,” said Polly.

“Or we could ask our volleyball coach, Miss Hunter,” said Kyla. “Or maybe our guidance counselor, Mrs. Dawson would be able to tell us what a mentor is.”                 

“I am going to ask my Girl Scout leader," replied Polly. “At least, she won’t laugh at me.”

“My reading tutor, Dennis, won’t either,” said Kyla. “But, he is too cute and I might get embarrassed."

“They all have more expertise than we do,” said Polly. “But, not in ballet dancing, just Miss Michaels.”

“Let’s go on the computer and Google it!” said Kayla. ‘Then we will know what a mentor is.”

"I can’t believe this,” said Polly, a while later. “We were on the right track, but now I have to find out if my dad wants me to have a mentor for ballet dancing, or for something else.”

Then Polly’s search for a mentor for ballet dancing began in earnest.