Community Christian Church

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Oswego Teacher Inspires Student to Mentor Youth

Published Sept 23, 2005 - The Beacon News

By: Jan Ramming

Uni Muniz had a rough childhood, to say the least. The 34-year old Aurora woman clearly remembers what it was like being one of the few Hispanic kids in the Oswego area in the 1970s. "My siblings and I experienced the feeling of someone crossing the boundaries," she said. "We were ridiculed, spit at and disrespected ... because of our ethnicity." When she was in first grade, she said, she was beaten by another student "because of the color of my skin." She went home crying and looking for comfort. Instead, her father beat her, too, she said, because she had allowed herself to be beaten by another child. She eventually learned to fight for respect. And throughout her childhood she carried hate and anger with her.

She became a troubled kid. But there was one person who treated her differently, someone who cared about her and didn't care about the color of her skin. That person was her gym teacher at Oswego's Long Beach Elementary School, Linda Gates. Gates taught Muniz from kindergarten through fifth grade. Muniz said she had many special moments in Gates' class because she felt inspired and accepted. She said she will never forget what Gates told her, in a fifth-grade moment that later turned her attitude and her life around. "She told me that pushed myself off from my victories," Muniz said. "She said that I had potential that I wasn't even aware of. Basically, she told me to get out of my own way." Muniz ended up as a top athlete, a President's Award winner and Long Beach Elementary Phys Ed Hall of Famer. Gates knew she had made a connection with the girl, looking out for her and her siblings, but she never realized what a powerful force she had become.

A way to say thanks

Fast forward to September 2005: Muniz has a party, and Gates is the guest of honor. "All my life I have wanted to tell Ms. Gates how much of an impact she made on a little girl's life," Muniz said. "It's been a dream of mine, and I finally have the opportunity to do so." After 34 years of teaching — 22 years at Long Beach Elementary and 12 years in the phys-ed department at Thompson Junior High School in Oswego — Gates was planning her retirement and was shocked to hear from a happy Muniz. Gates said she remembered Muniz as sad child who had been abused, a kid who was always trying hard but never felt like she was succeeding — a far cry from the bubbly woman who was calling to say thanks. And Muniz had another surprise for Gates. After speaking with Dave Ferguson, her pastor at Community Christian Church of Naperville, Muniz decided to honor Gates, as her life's mentor, with a new project.

Recruiting role models

"Past experience turns to gifts and leads to good works." These words from Ferguson are now the motto of Muniz's new 10:17 Youth Mentoring Ministry. Muniz formed the mentoring ministry at Community Christian Church with help from two national organizations, Christian Association of Youth Mentoring and the Christian Mentoring Institute. The organization's purpose is to link at-risk children from single-parent homes with Christian mentors, a cause that Muniz believes in. And so, on a recent Friday night, Muniz kicked off her mentoring program and thanked Gates with a party at Funway Entertainment Center in Batavia. She invited her 12 new mentors and their "mentees" — boys and girls from 8 to 15 years old who are enrolled in the mentoring ministry. The mentors have completed a training program using materials provided by the Christian Mentoring Institute, and they werematched with children with similar interests and hobbies. Mentor Beth Hauser, a fifth-grade teacher in Naperville, was matched with fifth-grader Jelyssa. They meet once a week and spend time together shooting baskets, going to a movie, or any other activity Jelyssa can think of. "I hear how much these types of programs are 'for the kids,' but I feel like I always get more out of these things than the kids do," she said.

A lasting effect

Hauser said she has fun simply hanging out with Jelyssa and listening to her stories. 'We're having a blast," Hauser said. "During the summer we did a lot of putt-putt golfing and bumper car activities. Now that the school year has started it's more homework, baking or sewing." Jelyssa said her time with Hauser is "really, really fun." "I can be with her, and I'm not bored anymore," she said. "I live in a cul-de-sac and there's nobody to talk to, and with her I have fun. I made a list of 50 things that we can do together, and we're doing each one." At the Funway celebration, Hauser and Jelyssa watched as Muniz, in front of all the new mentors and their kids, presentedGates with a plaque for being her outstanding mentor. She said she wanted all the kids to know her story and to know that they, too, could accomplish anything they wanted in life.

Gates was overwhelmed.

"This is incredible to know that I've touched someone that much," she said. "You never know how you've touched a child — you hope that you've touched them. It's a wonderful feeling to see her so happy. It just affirms why I became a teacher." The 10:17 Youth Mentoring Ministry at Community Christian Church is looking for more mentors, especially Christian men. For more information, log on to www.communitychristian.org or call (630) 388-5191.