The inspiring power of Spider Man and Mentorship
May 2, 2023
Borias is 20 years old and loves cosplay. His favorite superhero is Spider-Man because he connects deeply with the character’s story of adversity, loss, and resilience.
Growing up in the Boston area, Borias and his dad struggled to find stable housing. They moved around a lot and were homeless at one point. In 2020, Borias’ father passed away, and Borias entered the foster care system. He refers to this time as his “Uncle Ben moment,” a nod to the tragedy that defined Spider-Man’s alter ego Peter Parker. Borias’ mantra is “if Spider-Man can do it, so can I” and he says putting on his Spider-Man suit is much more than just wearing a costume – it gives him the confidence and inspiration he needs.
After three years in the foster care system, Borias is preparing to move on to the next stage of his life. Transitioning out of foster care and preparing for independent living can be difficult for many young people. With this in mind, Borias’ foster mom encouraged him to join the Learn and Earn program of Silver Lining Mentoring.
Silver Lining Mentoring is the only mentoring organization in Massachusetts that exclusively serves the unique needs of young people in foster care. Its Learn and Earn program teaches foundational life skills young people will need to live independently.
While in the program, participants are matched with a volunteer mentor who helps them advance their knowledge in budgeting, resume writing, banking, financial literacy, and interviewing. With each curriculum component they successfully complete, participants earn a stipend allowing them to build resources to support their transition. 65% of graduates choose to remain involved with Sliver Lining Mentoring, continuing to work toward education and independent living goals through Silver Lining Mentoring’s Community Based Mentoring program, where Borias was matched with his mentor Paul.
Paul had a happy and stable childhood surrounded by loving adults. Given all the support he had growing up, Paul felt driven to pay it forward.
Over the last year, Paul has worked with Borias to help him achieve many firsts: graduating high school, opening his first bank account, getting his first job (at a grocery store), and earning his first promotion. Borias has even begun saving for his first apartment. “It’s a privilege watching a young person… discover the world and discover themselves and find their footing going forward,” said Paul.
At the heart of their relationship is friendship. They meet twice a month and spend time exploring Boston, going to Shakespeare at the Commons, and attending baseball games at Fenway Park.
When young people enter the foster care system they can face frequent disruptions in their home, school, and community and an absence of stable, committed adults in their lives. Silver Lining Mentoring has found that young people who have a mentor are over 50% more likely to graduate high school and 40% more likely to be employed. Research shows that mentoring relationships lasting longer than a year have the most impact. Within Silver Lining Mentoring’s Community Based Mentoring program, relationships last an average of 4.5 years. For Borias, the relationship with Paul is the key to his success. “I really couldn’t have done it without him,” said Borias, “I am achieving things I haven’t done before.”
Learn more about Silver Lining Mentoring here.
