Two Hills Regional Chronicle is featuring a series of articles over the next several issues to showcase our members of the community of Two Hills and County, that are making a difference. ‘Whos’s your mentor?’ We all need a mentor, an influential person, a trusted and experienced advisor and guide, someone who is knowledgeable in the area we need guidance, in our lives. Originating from Greek, it refers to the adviser of the young. As much as this series is dedicated to encouraging and guiding the youth, I believe that it’s never too late for any of us, regardless of our age, to find some area of our life that needs growth, improvement and guidance. In our previous issue, we featured Collin Kupchenko, the current principal of Two Hills School. It was informative, inspirational and poignant. Thank you, Sir, for affording us your time, wisdom and the opportunity for our readers to get to know you more. Two Hills Regional Chronicle had the privilege of ‘chatting to Adrienne Owen, the principal of the New Myrnam School. In this issue, she shares with us her mentors and the need for good mentorship. Here’s what Adrienne Owen had to say: 1. Tell us a little about yourself. I was born and raised in Vermilion, finished high school in Edmonton, and attended university at the U of A. I have been teaching in SPERD since 2009, and in Myrnam since 2014. I have a 3-year old daughter and a 1-year old son. I love learning new things and meeting new people. I also live for the outdoors and enjoy hiking, camping, cross-country skiing, running, and new adventures. My other interests are gardening, writing, cooking, and staying active. 2. So, who is your mentor? This is a tough question. I have many mentors who have influenced me in so many ways. I owe a great deal to every one of my family and extended family members, all educators, who helped shape me. If I have to focus on one, right now it would be my uncle, Gary Michaud. He is also a teacher and school administrator in Alberta. 3. Why did you feel that you needed a mentor? I believe everyone needs a mentor. It is crucial to have someone, especially in your formative years, who believes in you and will try to really understand you and your worldview at that critical point in your life. Those are the years in which habits are formed, attitudes are developed, and values are instilled. We all need an opportunity to make mistakes, and talk them through without judgment so we can learn from them going forward. At the same time, the way those we look up to live their lives can have a pretty significant impact on the choices we make. 4. What were the characteristics that you wanted to find in a mentor? I gravitate towards people who have a positive - yet realistic - outlook on life, despite having had adverse experiences. I also look to people who can remain calm in difficult situations and who are driven by integrity. I look to those who are committed to doing the right thing, even when it’s hard. 5. What made your mentor stand out above the rest of the people you interacted with? Gary has always really listened to me and taken me seriously, even when I was young. I think that is so important for all youth - to have an adult who takes you seriously and takes the time to really know you. He has always told me the truth, even when it was hard to hear - and so I trust him. He also gets along with everyone, whether he shares their beliefs or not. That was key for me. I wanted to learn how to use different opinions in a productive way, rather than as a source of conflict. 6. As a female, in a demanding career that is usually male-dominant, what advice would you give the youth regarding mentorship and the character traits to look for? I think we all find mentors who reflect traits we either share or hope to have in ourselves. So I would say - take the time to really talk to someone. Ask questions. If you have a dilemma or challenge, stop, look and listen to how others handle these situations. Be open to learning. Others have been there before - so you are not alone and you don’t have to figure anything out alone! Surround yourself with people who care enough about you to tell you hard truths, and people who can hear these hard truths themselves. Look for people whose actions are consistent with their words. 7. The youth across the world have had some form of disappointment or disillusionment at some stage of their lives. What advice would you give to men and/or women who are in the mentorship role for these youngsters? Especially right now, our kids are looking for guidance and leadership. They are looking to the adults in their lives, whether we notice them watching us or not. Kids learn what they see. If the adults in their lives can find a way to handle these feelings and challenges, our kids will learn this, too. All of our kids need adults in their lives who really care, deeply, about them as individual people. So I think it is just so important to be ok ourselves, so that we can be prepared to deal with the challenges that will inevitably happen in our lives. If we can find healthy ways to face these, our kids can face them, too. 8. Being in a field of work where you are constantly engaged with the younger generation, would you regard yourself as a mentor or potential mentor? All educators are mentors, whether we are conscious of this or not. I have much to learn and I need my mentors more than ever now, it seems. But I think we all need to be open to learning from each other. 9. As a principal of a community school, facing these tumultuous times, how would you ensure the best outcomes for the learners and youth in your community? Unfortunately, I think we are going to continue to see the impacts of this unpredictable and unprecedented time for many years to come. What has helped me personally to stay grounded is to zone in on the interactions I can have with others every day. I can control my daily choices, and these eventually add up to weeks, months and years. So, I think that all any of us can do right now is ensure we are making the best choices we can in each situation, given the information we have at the time. And sometimes we will learn valuable lessons from these choices, and that adds to the information we have for next time. I feel that our students and kids right now benefit from focusing on routine, structure, a sense of empowerment and accountability, and from problem-solving in the presence of a trusted adult. I believe everything is “figure-out-able” and I think we can model this ability to learn, to be flexible, and to be open to change, and that great things can happen when we believe in our kids’ abilities to do them! These are the areas we will continue to focus on as a school. I am honoured to have been selected for this interview. Thank you. Thank you, Adrienne Owen, for your time, honesty and service of love to the community of Two Hills and County. Two Hills Regional Chronicle and its readers salute you!