City Year corps members strive to serve as powerful mentors to the students they reach in schools around the city. Many of them are fortunate enough to have had strong mentors in their own lives who helped them get to where they are today. Below, Josh Waxman, team leader serving at the Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School, lists his top 10 mentors and describes how they have influenced his life.
1. Dory Waxman: My mother and someone that I have looked up to my entire life. My mother is a strong woman with a profound sense of respect and humanity who has always practiced what she preached, to treat people the way you would like to be treated.
Senior corps member Josh Waxman (far left) with his family.
2. Dan Waxman: My father and one of my closest friends. My father’s approach to life and work and the balance between them is something that I continue to carry with me.
3. Ben Waxman: My brother and close friend. I have always looked up to Ben for his relentless work ethic and his constant need to better the world around him.
4. Adam Waxman: My brother and someone that I look up to. I look up to Adam as someone that has consistently pursued what he calls “a quality of life.” But through his work as a middle school teacher, Adam has also shown me that life is not only about pursuing that quality of life for yourself but about striving to help others achieve it as well.
5. Simeon Arloding: My brother from whom I have gained new perspectives. Simeon joined my family from war- torn Liberia when I was 10 and we shared a room for 3 years. Sim taught me to consider people from a global perspective and to understand that, as human beings, we have a responsibility to pick each other up when we have fallen.
6. Yessika Ares: My sister, who taught me to appreciate the little things in life. Yess became a part of my family when I was 9. She taught me more about the small things that can help ensure strong peace of mind than anyone else ever has. Family and Puerto Rican culture were very important to Yess, as well as her ability to find humor in almost any situation. These are values that I have carried closely with me throughout the years.
7. Sam Waxman: My Grandfather, Pop, who imparted to me a sense of pride and duty. Listening to stories from my pop about everything from serving in WWII to living through the Civil Rights era has driven me both professionally and socially. Pop and his tales of the ‘greatest generation’ have instilled in me a sense of pride in both my country and my community that drives me to do the work that I do.
8. Abby Snyder: My 5th grade teacher. Mrs. Snyder always had a way of working with kids that made teaching look so easy. With a heart and mind that gave every child an opportunity regardless of where they came from, Abby was able to help every student develop. I am lucky to have had such an amazing educator, and her ability to build and cultivate relationships is something from which I continue to learn.
9. Muhammad Ali: A man who overcame so much adversity with so much confidence in his abilities. Ali pursued both his professional and personal goals with unmatched passion and effort, which is something that I have always admired and striven to emulate.
Josh with program manager Mike McGinn and co-team leader Aaron Canto.
10. Mike McGinn and Aaron Canto: Two gentlemen whom I have the pleasure of working with this year. As my program manager and co-team leader, Mike and Aaron’s hard work, humor, and dedication have helped to form one of the best teams that I have ever had the opportunity to lead. I am excited to see what this year holds in store for us.
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Students writing positive words about themselves as a warm-up activity
