Mentorship is a huge component of what we do at Hanna – it often just takes one responsible, dependable adult to truly change the trajectory of a young man’s life.
And for Hanna students, including alumnus Dom, and current student Kristian, that person has been Jamie Flatt – who has been consistently providing career mentorship opportunities to our students through the Hanna Maintenance Department. He’s been teaching the kids how to do everything from driving a tractor to painting – while also talking to them about their career path, and reinforcing the virtues of being a good employee.
See Jamie – and Dom – and Kristian’s story below.
To help further career mentorship opportunities at Hanna we’ve launched a NEW CAREER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM to help our seniors explore career paths – if you have experience in agriculture, vet medicine, hospitality, the trades, please reach out. We have students who would like to talk to you.
Or if you have an interesting story about how you found your career path – please reach out. We’d love to expose our students to the many different career paths open to them. You can reach out to us with questions by contacting us at [email protected]
MAINTENANCE PROVIDES MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
Jamie Flatt came to Hanna five years ago to manage our Facilities Team. He sees a lot of himself in the Hanna kids and says that as a teen he ‘lacked structure and discipline in life.’ But after high school he joined the Marines, went on to study Environmental Studies at Sonoma State and then came to Hanna.
He wants the kids at Hanna to see in themselves what he sees. Potential. And that with just a bit of direction, and structure, they too can stay on track.
One of those kids with limitless potential was Dom (above), who graduated from Hanna in 2018. “Dom came to me one day and asked if he could work for me. I told him to fill out an application and didn’t think about it again until he came back, 10 minutes later, with his application filled out and in hand.” Jamie hired him on the spot.
Jamie mentored Dom into a career in construction – he taught him valuable life skills like how to change your oil, fix a lawnmower, and to drive a tractor. With Dom off and graduated, Jamie has a new crew of helpers this year.
Students WANT to be part of Jamie’s team. They want the independence that comes along with the responsibility of working for Hanna Maintenance and they enjoy the work.
But it’s not an easy job. Jamie runs a tight ship. Kids who want to work for him must have clear drug tests, get good grades and be in good standing. If they waiver he’s there to reinforce why being dependable matters – and to remove them from the crew if necessary. “I just don’t have the time to mess around and I need to keep the kids accountable.”
This year Kristian has been helping Jamie regularly. He’s learned to drive the Hanna tractor, and is reaping the rewards of this mentorship opportunity.
At Hanna it really does take the ENTIRE TEAM to change our kids’ lives.
