Mentor Feature - Anderson Hall

As a supporter, you understand and believe in the power of mentorship. As the old adage goes, “no man is an island,” so it is paramount that we invest in building strong communities that foster better outcomes for our young people.

Anderson Hall, knows very well the transformative effects of having a dedicated mentor from his experience as a TAP participant and now as a leader in the program. As a child, Anderson described himself as being a “hardheaded kid and a disruption in class.” Anderson reflects on a particular instance with a teacher, which resulted in her calling his parents on him. Upon hearing of his wrongdoing Anderson’s mother warned him that this would be the "last straw:. After that conversation, Anderson chose to lean into the opportunities that were presented to him and began to take them more seriously.

Through TAP, he became connected to Wilfred Thomas and he credits this mentor relationship with instilling the values of: Honesty, Effort, Respect, Teamwork and Preparedness. Today, Anderson maintains a relationship with Wilfred but says they are now more like friends. Anderson participated in the TAP program between 2007-2010 but even after graduating from high school he’s maintained an active presence with TAP.

Currently he oversees after-school programming at multiple sites and in his role, Anderson says one of his major objectives is to make genuine connection with parents as well as the children because, “it takes a village and we all need to be on the same page where our youth are concerned.”

As a firm believer in the program and mentorship overall Anderson says, “Mentoring can be for everyone. If you have the ability to learn and put others before yourself then you have the ability to be a mentor.”