A four-year old program at Pope John Paul II High School is helping students find their way in the world through the time-honored practice of mentoring.

A mentor is defined in the Oxford American Dictionary as “a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.” Origins of the word date from mid-18th century translations of Homer’s “Odyssey,” in which Mentor was the adviser of the young Telemachus, son of Odysseus. Mentoring programs exist in a number of professions, including sports, entertainment, business and politics.

At PJP, the program is called Jaguar Pride, and serves as a vital part of the school’s comprehensive guidance program. Each student is assigned a faculty member as a mentor when they enter the school in their freshman year, with the goal of staying with the same mentor throughout their entire high school career.

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They meet regularly in one-on-one sessions, as well as monthly in a group of 10 to 12 students at the same grade level and of the same gender.

They discuss school business and academic performance, but also personal and emotional issues that are not always addressed during the course of a normal school day.

“We have several planned topics that we address during JP,” said Dr. Libby Schayot, a school counselor and coordinator of Jaguar Pride. “At times we might address a different topic that grows from a ‘teachable moment’.”

A teachable moment, an unplanned opportunity to offer insight and guidance, might arise when a student witnesses an episode of bullying, for example.

During a recent Jaguar Pride meeting, social studies department chair Peggy Doucet addressed the topic of respect with a group of junior girls. She started with a couple of old adages, such as “turn the other cheek” and “treat others the way you want to be treated,” challenging them to identify opportunities when they might practice being respectful.

“Is it disrespectful to talk while someone else is talking?” Doucet asked. “What if you show someone respect and they are rude in return?”

Several girls acknowledged the difficulty in ignoring rude behavior. Others allowed that while they might not respect the opinion or behavior of another student, they could still try to treat that student with a measure of respect.

“It’s like you have to rise above it,” said student Chrissy Hinton, who addressed bullying when she competed in the Miss Slidell program last month. “Don’t be mean to someone just because they’re mean to you.”

Schayot said each mentor is dedicated to the following objectives:

Emphasize the worth of the individual student.

Foster individualization so that each student can be known as a total human being by at least one teacher in the school.

Recognize that each student, as an individual, is endowed with particular interests and needs.

Direct each student according to his or her own potential.

Aid each student in developing a sense of self-direction.

Be a person that the student feels comfortable with in communicating their academic concerns.

Interact with each student to facilitate high school adjustment.

In 2007, during Super Bowl XLI, a 15-second public service announcement aired featuring the two opposing coaches, Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears. Dungy mentored Smith for years during his rise through the coaching ranks, and the two old friends encouraged viewers to look for similar mentoring opportunities.

The message in that spot, and confirmed by PJP teachers, is that nothing beats helping someone achieve their potential.