Education and Mentorship: Giving Every Young Person a Path Forward
By Eugene D. Farrell
A young person’s future can change when an adult takes the time to notice their potential. A teacher who refuses to give up. A coach who teaches discipline after a difficult loss. A mentor who listens, offers honest guidance, and helps a student see possibilities beyond the circumstances around them.
As an educator, coach, and former Senior ROTC instructor, I have seen how much that steady support matters. Education and mentorship belong together. Our schools must give students a strong academic foundation, while our community helps them discover where their abilities can lead.
Recently, I spoke with the Commissioner of Education about absenteeism, parental involvement, and the need for the community to assist the Department of Education. The conversation reinforced a simple truth: They can’t do it alone. If we want serious change for our children and our community, all of us have a role to play.
High rates of absenteeism should concern every parent, educator, and community leader. When a child misses school regularly, lessons build on material they never learned. They can fall behind, lose confidence, and begin to feel that catching up is impossible. Attendance is about more than a number on a school report. It affects a child’s ability to learn and move forward.
Parents and guardians must understand that impact. I also know that getting a child to school every day can be difficult when a family faces transportation problems, illness, housing instability, or other pressures. If you are struggling, please reach out to your child’s teacher, school counselor, or principal. Ask for help early. Do not let your child slip through the cracks because you feel you have to solve everything alone.
Schools must reach out as well. When absences begin to add up, families need someone who will listen, understand what is happening, and help the student return. Teachers and parents can then work together on a practical plan to help that child catch up.
The wider community has work to do, too. Faith and community organizations, businesses, retirees, coaches, and other caring adults can offer mentorship, tutoring, transportation support, and safe places for young people to spend time after school. Consistent support from someone who cares can help a student stay engaged through a difficult period.
In the Senate, I would press for honest answers about attendance, student progress, school conditions, and the help available to families. I would listen to educators and parents and ask whether the programs we fund are reaching the children who need them.
Every child deserves a real chance to succeed. The Department of Education has an essential responsibility, but lasting change will take parents, schools, and the whole community working together. The earlier we reach a child who is falling behind, or lost their way, the better chance we have to help that child and strengthen our community
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