-Tim Brustad
When one thinks of StepUP service opportunities the thoughts typically fall to all the wonderful outside opportunities that they attend, from elementary schools to colleges, treatment programs, community organizations, StepUP students do it all.
There is another piece that is equally as important, that would be the StepUP Mentor Program.
Over the years this program has taken many forms, and this year is no different. However the underlying theme throughout the years is the same; investment and commitment towards the new StepUp students that are preparing to arrive and participate in the program. The feelings of connectedness, striving for like-minded ideals and ways of live, has been a core component in AA since its beginning and is often carried over into other aspects of a recovery lifestyle.
One reason that it is so important is that many incoming students (and parents!) are very proactive in their plans. Many actually are accepted to Augsburg College and the StepUP Program several months in advance of their start date. Over the years StepUP has understood the value in keeping these individuals connected and chemically healthy until they arrive. The obstacles can be challenging! Returning to old using environments, seeing people from their past, boredom, the list is quite long.
A major component to the Mentor Program is to help assist these individuals to get through these challenging times, to get them through the door.
An incoming student calls two weeks prior to the scheduled arrival, he shares that the couple of weeks that he planned to spend at home with his parents has created some unexpected feelings and he is anxious about using. All the right steps have been taken, a call to his sponsor, even his parents are driving him to meetings and helping in all ways possible. The call to me, which had been put in place at the interview, is also a call for action. I call his mentor who not only agrees to call but spreads the word throughout the StepUP community that someone could use their help. Not one, but many calls are made throughout the remaining weeks. The student arrives, recovery intact, learning once again the power of the program.
 The above story is a reflection of the value of the mentor program prior to the students’ arrival. It is also important to recognize the importance of the mentor once the student has arrived! While many of the incoming students have been in the Twin Cities area for a while prior to coming and may already be acquainted with the community and the living space many have no idea what to expect. For some it will be the first form of independence in a very long time. For those that have experienced this process you can recall the many challenges, fears and the anxiousness that led up to your arrival: Where will I find a meeting? How do I get my books or find my classrooms? Will I fit in with the others in the community? Can I really achieve and thrive in college? Will the recovery foundation that I have built up to this point really support me? As you might guess, the role of the Mentor is invaluable to these individuals. Just knowing that you know and have at least one confidant in the program makes all the difference in the world. It is the beginning of a very important relationship with Augsburg, the StepUP community, and the realization that recovery can happen while attending college and while not always the case it is also possible that these relationships can be the start of a friendship that may last a lifetime!