Schoolwork comes naturally to Waukegan High School sophomore Brent Heisner as it did for him as a seventh grader at Robert Abbott Middle School three years ago. Like a lot of youngsters then, he was feeling the impact of COVID-19-imposed isolation.
Hearing about the Breakfast Club for eighth graders which met two mornings a month for food and mentoring from adults, Heisner applied. There, he developed a relationship with James Daubs, a volunteer mentor for the club. He also became more at ease with himself.
Now a good student in high school, as well as a two-way lineman on the junior varsity football team and a member of the JROTC, Heisner welcomed this year’s members of the Breakfast Club at their Nov. 7 orientation.
“I felt at ease,” he said. “It was easy to go in there and talk to them. I told them about the club, and how I came to like it. I told them what it was like to work with a mentor, and how it helped.
The Leaders United Breakfast Club began its sixth year that day at the Robert Abbott Middle School in Waukegan, providing mentorship to a group of 31 eighth graders and helping their transition to high school in August.
Bobbi Selvik, the community engagement manager of United Way of Lake County and co-lead of Leaders United — an affinity group of United Way — said the Breakfast Club started in 2019 as a tutoring group of skilled adults helping eighth graders.
Working with the youngsters on math and English language arts, Selvik said in March of the first year, the pandemic arrived, school went remote, the club was virtual the next term and a combination of in-person and remote in the 2021-2022 school year. The focus changed.
“The kids needed less help with schoolwork and more social-emotional learning,” Selvik said. “We turned every session into social-emotional learning. The mentors talked to the kids about what was important to them at the time.”
Since each student has their own school-issued electronic device, connecting virtually has become the norm for youngsters.
When Heisner became a member of the Breakfast Club in the fall of 2022, some of the mentors connected with their mentees virtually like Daubs, and others were there in person.
Starting the initial sessions with “icebreakers,” Selvik said the students and mentors rotate with a simple interaction. Once everyone gets to know each other and each other’s interests, matches are made. It is an early morning gathering and breakfast is served.
Common interests helped Heisner and Daubs form a bond. Heisner did more of the talking, and Daubs was mostly a listener. The listening skills helped them through the time they worked together.
“I was feeling a lot of stress at the time,” Heisner said. “Jim loves sports. I love sports. We talked about football and golf. I really opened up and talked about everything.”
Listening was the key for Daubs. As a paralegal, he does a lot of listening. He said he was looking for a volunteer opportunity with Big Brothers but the pandemic rendered that impossible When he heard about the Breakfast Club, he felt it would be a good fit.
“I asked questions, and I like to listen,” Daubs said. “During our first icebreaker, I learned a lot about him. We talked for about 40 minutes, and I listened most of the time.”
Ever evolving, Selvik said she continually looks for ways to make the program fresh and meaningful for the students. She has introduced a field trip for a behind-the-scenes look at Six Flags Great America after it closes for the season.
“They got to see what goes on in the workshop there,” Selvik said. “They got to talk to people, and learn what it is like to work there. The students bombarded them with questions. I try to improve the program each year.”
New this year, Selvik said she is collaborating with the National Honor Society at Waukegan High School so some members of the organization can work with the eighth graders, allowing both adults and older teens to help the Abbott students grow.
The club meets twice a month through March.
