A group of mentors from NAS Patuxent River and their student mentees from George Washington Carver Elementary School assembled and delivered Christmas baskets to residents of Chesapeake Shores nursing home Dec. 5.

The mentors are participants in the St. Mary's County Public Schools district-wide Future Leaders of the World (FLOW) program, which fosters positive mentoring relationships between elementary school students and members of the community.

"We assess the students in our afterschool program and, based on their family dynamics, we choose students [for FLOW] who we feel could benefit from having a one-on-one mentor," explained Lisa McCoy, parent liaison and FLOW site leader at Carver Elementary. "Right now, eight of my nine mentors are from Pax River."

Each Monday after the school day has ended, the mentors spend about 90 minutes with their students, starting off with a snack, engaging in a reading activity and then focusing on a specific group activity.

"After they finish those activities, the mentor/mentee pair has free time to play board games, visit our school library or participate in extracurricular physical activities outside," McCoy said.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Morgan Morlen has been a FLOW mentor for two years and works with a pair of siblings in 3rd and 5th grade.

"I like making a difference in children's lives," said Morlen, a corpsman with Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River. "You get to know the kids, help them, and they start to rely on you and look up to you. It's a great feeling and an amazing time for both of you."

A few of this year's holiday group activities included making Halloween candles, crafting turkey tissue boxes to help with runny noses, and assembling the Christmas baskets.

"I included this program in FLOW because I want our students to participate in community service events," McCoy said. "After we delivered the baskets, the mentors and students stayed and made Christmas decorations with the residents of the nursing home"

Seaman Darnell Pittman, a safety equipment aviation structural mechanic with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 1, is volunteering for the first time as a FLOW mentor.

"I currently work with a 9-year-old who's just full of life and energy," Pittman said. "I knew that having the responsibility to interact with and possibly instill life skills into a child in need was something I couldn't refuse. FLOW is a great opportunity to help and become a better you; and the mentees remind you of the joy that was ever so present in childhood."

NAWCAD Energy Manager Paul Waxman has been participating for seven years and currently mentors a 10-year-old who enjoyed himself so much during the visit, he told Waxman "I want to stay here."

"For many of these children, every mentor session is like Christmas morning in a way... they just light up to see you; no present required," Waxman said. "We are all very busy, but this small gift of time has such a great impact."

McCoy said she finds it rewarding to see the students interact with the home's residents with respect and love.

"They really enjoy the visits and always ask when we can go back again," she added.


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