PRESS RELEASE - White House Officials Share Personal Mentoring Stories

Paving the Way for Their Success - Oval Office Committed to Advance Mentoring

January 24, 2012

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – White House administration officials Joshua DuBois, special assistant to the President and executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and Michael Strautmanis, deputy assistant to the President and counselor for strategic engagement to the Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, served as the keynotes for the second annual National Mentoring Summit, sharing their personal stories of the significant impact mentoring has had on their lives and their careers, in addition to expressing the White House’s support for mentoring.

Wishing the Summit attendees a happy National Mentoring Month on behalf of President Obama, DuBois, who has served as a mentor for the past 12 years to a young man named Aidid, spoke of the bond he has created with Aidid, watching him grow and develop from a six-year-old mentee into a now-freshman at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

DuBois went on to note that one of the most satisfying moments of mentoring and in his life was when he received an email notification from Facebook, noting that Aidid had listed DuBois as a member of his family.

DuBois’ colleague Strautmanis also shared his story of how he came to meet two of the greatest mentors in his life: President Obama and the First Lady.

As a bike messenger in Chicago in his early life, Strautmanis said he dreamed about becoming a lawyer to help people in his community, an ambition he came to develop while delivering packages to local law firms.  It was also at one of those law firms where he met First Lady Michelle Obama, then Michelle Robinson, who introduced Strautmanis to her boyfriend, now President Obama.  Not long after, Strautmanis started a summer job as a paralegal at the firm where the Obamas worked.

Addressing the Summit attendees, Strautmanis said he is living proof that people who come into your life can have a significant impact on your future.  He went on to note that the White House’s new initiative Summer Jobs+, a call to action for businesses, nonprofits and government to work together to reverse the high teen unemployment rate, will focus on engaging the 6.7 million disconnected youth, who are currently not in school and not employed, adding that without jobs, American taxpayers will assume a $1.6 trillion burden for them.

In support of Summer Jobs+, the 32 companies attending the Summit committed to providing nearly 180,000 employment opportunities for low-income and disconnected youth in the summer of 2012.

DuBois and Strautmanis also noted that the White House will help to advance mentoring by lifting up best practices; offering to host future gatherings to advance mentoring opportunities for young people; and encouraging and recognizing the private sector for their support.

“Mentoring has a real ally in the White House,” said David Shapiro, president and CEO of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, a host organization for the Summit.  “Mr. Strautmanis’ and Mr. DuBois’ personal stories are an inspiration and an aspiration for all Summit attendees and those around the country who understand the power of mentoring.”

The National Mentoring Summit is being held Tuesday, January 24, and Wednesday, January 25, at The Fairmont in Washington, D.C.  The Summit’s Presenting Sponsor is Viacom.  Bank of America and BNY Mellon are Supporting Sponsors for the events.

For more information, please contact Ellen Christman at (703)224-2255 or echristman@mentoring.org.