GOOD BUDDIES: (from left) Todd, Richie, Rory, and William.

Photo by SUSAN YOUNG

During his time at HBS, William Pritchett (MBA ’06) learned an enormous amount from his professors and classmates. But he also learned a lot from 13-year-old Rory, a student at the Manville School of the Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston. Manville is designed for kids from ages 5 to 15 who struggle in traditional educational settings due to emotional or physical issues. A key element of the school’s approach is the big sister/big brother concept, in which an older mentor, as a role model and companion, agrees to spend time every week for at least one year with a Manville student.

“At first, I was worried about the weekly time commitment,” admits Pritchett, who was Rory’s mentor for two years. “But I soon realized that if I made it a high priority, I could schedule other things around it. The program appealed to me as an opportunity to get away from the intensity of HBS and spend some time trying to make one teenager’s life a little better. I was amazed at the seriousness of issues that Rory shared with me and how much he valued my opinions.”

Mark Brown, Jonathan Krautmann, and Todd Neustat (all MBA ’06), along with David Levine and Goncalo Neves-Correia (both HBS ’07), also took part in the program, which focuses on relationship-building rather than tutoring. Mentors and students spend their time together doing arts and crafts, playing games and sports, and making field trips to museums and other destinations. Treating his commitment as though the program were as mandatory as an HBS course, Neustat found that while it was hard work, he and his 13-year-old buddy, Richie, “had a fabulous time and did many fun things together, especially playing basketball, our favorite activity. I believe I helped Richie with his self-esteem, and he in turn helped me learn how to relate to someone facing a different set of challenges in life. Fortunately, I’m staying on in the Boston area, so Richie and I can still get together.”

For more information, contact mentor program coordinator Brina Einstein at einstein@jbcc.harvard.edu or call 617-278-4195.

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