Robetha Fariss, a volunteer with Leedey Public Schools’ B.I.S.O.N. Mentors
Program, was among fifty-two outstanding Oklahoma youth mentors selected for
recognition at Oklahoma Mentor Day at the Capitol, which was presented Jan. 15
by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and its David and Molly Boren
Mentoring Initiative.
Farris, who was
unable to attend the capitol ceremony due to her husband Ted’s funeral, will
receive her award Feb. 22 at the Regional basketball game for class B Area I. Mentoring Initiative
Director Beverly Woodrome will visit Leedey for the special presentation.
Mentoring Day
honorees were selected by their respective programs within the Mentoring
Initiative network. Each recipient receives a Certificate of Recognition signed
by David L. Boren, founder and chairman of the Oklahoma Foundation for
Excellence. The
Boren Mentoring Initiative was launched in 2006 to promote the growth and
development of quality youth mentoring programs statewide. Since then, more
than 100 Oklahoma mentoring organizations have joined the foundation’s network.
“Oklahoma Mentor Day
helps draw attention to the value of mentoring and the tremendous impact that
mentors make in their mentees’ lives,” Woodrome said. “I am delighted to
visit Leedey and recognize Robetha Fariss and remember her husband, Ted, who
both made an important impact on young people in their community.”
B.I.S.O.N., an acronym for “Believe In Some One Now,” serves
Pre-K through 12-grade students in Leedey Public Schools. A retired Roger Mills County tag
agent, Fariss was the first adult to enthusiastically step up to volunteer as a
mentor, said B.I.S.O.N. Mentor Coordinator Kris Gore.
“There is not a more giving woman
involved with the mentoring program than Robetha Fariss,” Gore said. “She is
that way with all of the programs in Leedey – more than willing to do her part
and support those involved. As a mentor, she has displayed all of those
qualities too. She became very involved in her mentee’s life and has
never looked back.”
Farris has been matched two years
to Chassidy, age 14. When Chassidy voiced an interest in criminal science as a
career choice, Fariss made arrangements to take her on a tour of the Oklahoma
State Bureau of Investigation office. She also has helped Chassidy earn
money for summer camps and basketball shoes.
“Robetha expresses her ideas and
opinions in a way that you just naturally respect,” Gore said. “That is
probably the reason why she and Chassidy are such a good match. She tells her
teenage mentee exactly what is and isn’t acceptable. Her honesty and
genuineness are qualities to admire, especially in today’s superficial
world.”
Mentoring has been a family
affair in the Fariss household. Robetha’s late husband, Ted, who recently died
of cancer, mentored an eighth-grader named Tony. He was also among the first to
step up as B.I.S.O.N. mentor.
“Ted was a huge pillar of our
community,” Gore said. “He will be missed dearly.”
For more information
about Oklahoma Mentor Day or the Boren Mentoring Initiative, visit www.okmentors.org or contact Beverly Woodrome, program director, at (405)
236-0006.
