 |
I am Laura Mantell, a Unitarian Universalist youth in our Fort Myers Church. On Sunday, October 1, I will complete my Coming of Age program by doing a Sunday service, the final step in a very long process of reading, writing, and interviewing. One of the highlights of my Coming of Age was the opportunity to interact with members of the church. An important member to me is Lucille Porteus, my mentor. I chose her as my mentor because she is caring and understanding and I knew I would learn from her. I also made another new friend, Natalie Yepsen. I attended her husband's memorial service and I have kept in touch with her. The final person who played a key role in my quest was Glenna Greene, whom I visited in her home and learned so much about our church as it was before my family started attending. My other tasks included writing a credo, which is a statement of my religious beliefs, and making a collage. I also had three one-hour conversations with my mentor, one of my favorite parts of the whole program. Lucille and I talked about friendship, where I will be in five years, and how to make hard decisions - all of which I deal everyday. I am a high school senior, and my future is for the first time unsure; this made the conversations so beneficial. This program has caused me to learn and grow inside our Church Community. Thank you for reading this, and I hope to see you at my services. |