The other day I was reminiscing with an old friend about high school, and we started talking about which were our favourite and least favourite teachers. It had been a while, but that conversation reminded me of my old English Lit teacher, Mr. Z. He was an older guy with grown kids of his own who enjoyed reading Chaucer out loud in Old English and sneaking cigarettes behind the portables after school. Mr. Z was one of those teachers who loved teaching and genuinely liked kids, even us snotty teenagers, and he made English literature interesting.
Around then, I was going through a hard time at home and missing a lot of classes. I didn’t tell anybody at the time, but I was seriously considering dropping out of high school. Mr. Z noticed that things weren’t right, and over a few cigarettes after class he convinced me to talk. He made arrangements with the school administration to provide me with bus fare to help me get to school, and he convinced me to keep coming, even if I didn’t make it every day. He was the reason I finished high school, and it was his support that encouraged me to apply for university and scholarships. We lost touch after high school, but I still think about him every once in a while.
Many of us have had mentors like Mr. Z who made a difference in our lives, but not everyone is so lucky. Having reaped the benefit of more than one mentor in my life, I know firsthand how valuable positive role models can be.
This February, Boston Pizza is celebrating their annual Valentine’s Day campaign in support of mentorship for kids, so they extended an invitation to my girls and me to have a conversation about the importance of mentorship over some heart-shaped pizza.
All month long, Boston Pizza will be raising awareness and donations for the Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects which works to connect kids in need with positive role models in their communities. $1 from every pizza sold on February 14th this year will go to support the Boston Pizza Foundation’s work.
We visited our local Boston Pizza and ordered one of their signature pizzas for dinner. Of course, both my girls were enchanted with the pizza’s heart shape. It took a little convincing before they were willing to have me serve slices!
Spicy perogie pizza – my favourite!
While we enjoyed our meal, I started to talk about mentors. The very first thing Kay said was, “No, don’t want a Dementor!” (We are a Harry Potter family, after all!) So then followed an explanation of what a mentor is: not a scary flying monster in a black robe, but someone we learn from and look up to. Once they understood, Tee said, “Oh, I have a mentor! My teacher Ms. Andrea teaches me and helps me be really good! And you too! You’re my mentor too.” They get it!
Tee and Kay both attend Montessori programs. In Montessori schools, kids are grouped into three year classes instead of individual grades like mainstream schools. This means all the 3 to 5-year-olds are in one class, as are the 6 to 8-year-olds, 9 to 11-year-olds, and so on. This unique arrangement creates a built-in mentorship relationship between older and younger students. My kids have learned so much from the older students in their classes who help teach and guide them. Now that they know the term, they’re both excited to become mentors too when they’re the oldest in their class.
We finished our enlightening meal with a decadent dessert: this Future Prospects dessert with red velvet cake, cheesecake mousse, berry sauce, whipped cream, and a white chocolate coin. It’s not just a tasty treat though. $1 from every dessert sold goes to Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects.
Mentors come in many forms: parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, bosses, even Jedi masters! Most of us had a mentor at some point in our lives, but 1 in 3 Canadian kids don’t get enough time with a positive role model, and that’s why we support the Boston Pizza Foundation.
For over 25 years, the Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects has been dedicated to connecting kids in need to role models in their own communities so they have the guidance, mentorship, and support necessary to reach their full potential. Boston Pizza provides more than 200,000 hours of mentorship every year, and they’ve provided more than $24 million in donations to date for charity partners like Big Brothers Big Sisters, JDRF, Kids Help Phone, The Rick Hansen Foundation, and Live Different.
How You Can Help
This month you can help kids in 3 different ways!
- Purchase any pizza on February 14th and $1 will go to the Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects.
- Order a Future Prospects dessert and $1 will be donated to the Foundation.
- Or give directly by donating $2 for a paper heart. Not only will your heart cut-out help the Foundation and honour your mentor, but you’ll also get $5 off your next meal at Boston Pizza!
Boston Pizza is a fantastic place to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year! Enjoy a dinner out with good food and friendly people, and help connect kids in your community with positive role models who will help them succeed.
Our friendly server, Nicole
Learn more and connect with the Boston Pizza Foundation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Did you have a mentor? What difference did it make in your life?
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Boston Pizza wants to help one of my readers treat their mentor to a special meal out with a $50 Boston Pizza gift card. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada only, 18+. Enter in the giveaway widget below. All the winner’s entries will be verified.
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Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation. Nevertheless, all opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.
I had an amazing mentor at work – she helped me learn so much, improve my confidence, and become a. Enter pharmacist. I think of her often although she is retired now
I have never had a mentor but can see how incredibly valuable one would be to grow and learn in life.
my wife is my mentor she is a great kind and loving women.
I hope to mentor my grandchildren as I did with my children.
My mentor has always been my mom and hopefully I’m doing the same for my daughter.
I think mentorship is important because it’s a way for people who aren’t parents to pass something along to the next generation.
I had an amazing Mentor when I was around 14. He was a catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays and really took me under his wing. Taught me so much about baseball but also a lot of life lessons. Thanks to him I went on to play baseball at a very high level but also learned the benefit of rewards from effort, sportmanship and how to be a team player and develop good people skills.
I have never had a mentor.
I had a (ski) coach growing up and he was really helpful in giving me good advice. I think it’s important to have an adult to go to as kids/peers don’t always have the experience or knowledge to give sound advice.
Besos Sarah.
Mentors show people not to give up… with hard work you can achieve goals. They provide connections, paths, and advice
My mom is my mentor she has guided me and made me into the person i am today ! Thanks MOM
My mentor is an old boss I worked for. He gave me an understanding of professionalism and how to be a successful person. Everyday I strive to be a better person because of him. I still am in contact with him and I am forever thankful for all the help he has given me.
Having a good and knowledgeable mentor is very important for the young or inexperienced so that they learn quicker and better how best to get on in life.
I had an English teacher in highschool who I consider a mentor. She helped me in so many different ways and I will never forget her
My cousin served as a mentor. I think it’s important to have someone to whom to aspire because adolescence can be an otherwise chaotic and confusing time.
My very first boss taught me a lot about the benefits of a good work ethic.
When I was in Grade 7, there was a mentorship program in school. I signed up for it and I was paired up with an elder girl in school as my mentor. I has became a teenager and I saw a lot of things very differently than my mom. I almost went against another direction of everything that my mom said. Lucky that I had her as my mentor, she was willing to listen and provided me with advice. For some things, she basically said the same thing as my mom but it was easier for me to digest when it came out from her mouth. I was glad that I had her. However, I changed school a year later and we lost contact. I really want to thank her.
Sounds like you had an amazing mentor! That is a great story. I have had many mentors over the years. I had a great teacher – also an English teacher and I had a great mom who was a mentor too.
No formal mentor but definitely influential people who have made a difference in my life.
i have a business mentor right now and it helps me a lot to stay focussed and to see what can be achieved with determination!
Mentors are great to help open your eyes and thinking
I definitely needed a mentor in my first year of university. Very rough time in my personal life and it affected my education like crazy. Now, 4 years later, I am a mentor for two first year students!
When my dad died my grandparents were my mentors. I am so lucky to have had their unconditional love and support in my life.
I had a teacher in high school who I consider a mentor to me. She helped me in so many different ways and I will never forget her
My parents were my greatest mentors who have taught me meaningful things in life while growing up.
Mentorship is so important b/c we all need someone to help us get pointed in the right direction from time to time. I recently learned that I had become a mentor to a friend b/c of my parenting style and it was such a great compliment.
Yes , i do for my job, I think it’s so good to know you have someone you can refer to!
I haven’t really had a mentor in my life but I have been one for others. I think it helps build confidence.
I am lucky to have a Mentor at every single job I’ve had. My favorite Mentor is a strong Female leader that I am still in touch with. I’d love to be able to take her to lunch at Boston Pizza to Thank her for being an awesome Mentor and friend.
I think mentoring is so important. It really can change the path of a young person’s life, having someone they respect showing them a better way then they may be already seeing around them.
I have never had a mentor although I often wished for one. There is more to learn in life than can be found in traditional schooling especially without supportive parents. A mentor can guide one through pitfalls and provide insight into ways to navigate through life, especially work life.
I was able to help a new graduate at one workplace. He made me feel omnipotent as I tried to impart the knowledge (and smarts) he needed to be successful.
Mentorship is important because life skills and guidance and encouragement are beneficial to everyone!
My last supervisor was a mentor. She helped me see things in different ways, and I loved how calm and cool-headed she always was.
My Mother was my mentor, she always set a great example of the kind of person I wanted to be!
Having a mentor can be important because some people don’t have anyone to look up to in life for guidance.
I guess I would have to say that I’ve never really had a mentor. I mean I’ve had people that I have admired or aspired to be like but no one that I really learned anything specific from.
Unless of course you count mom. 🙂 I’ve essentially learned as much as I can about being a good person, being empathetic and being a good baker from her 🙂
My mom would be a mentor. I think it’s important because it keeps you rational. It reminds you that there’s more to life than the bit you’re experiencing right now.
I had a mentor when I was younger. It was one one of my teachers. She encouraged me, believed in me, pushed me outside my comfort zone, and was a role model. It helped me immensely to have confidence, speak in front of groups, and grow.
I would definitely consider some of my teachers/ professors to be mentors. They encouraged me to grow as a person. Some taught me to expand on my thoughts and write well for example. I think having a mentor is important at any stage of life. They can help you run a business, graduate high school and just be a well rounded person.
I never had a mentor but it would have been a life changer for me figuring out what to do in life and simply what courses I should have been taken.
Yes, my English teacher in high school was an important mentor. She led me to believe in myself and gave me the courage to pursue a fantastic career path.
I have not had a mentor in my life but hope to be one for my grandchildren. They are important to provide support when its most needed.
I had a mentor at work who was very helpful in my career decisions
When I was younger I had a councellor who helped me get through some rough stages in my life. I still think of her today
I didn’t have a mentor growing up and it would’ve been nice!
no i have not