Why I Mentor: Michael Pearce
This Is Why I Mentor Series
A series to share, educate, and inspire others with mentoring stories.
We have all had one in our lives…. Someone we look up to. Someone we call when we have questions, concerns, and frustrations. Someone who provides sound and nurturing wisdom. Someone we can expose our true selves to and still feel supported. Someone we can hunt with. Someone we can fish with. Someone we can spend time with. A mentor.
This series is meant to be a way to educate and motivate you to give back to others. It is designed to inspire you to become a mentor. It is a reminder to thank your mentor. Hopefully the advice and stories shared here will leave you nothing short of empowered!
Mentor: Michael Pearce
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN MENTORING?
Depends on what you call mentoring I helped Mike with hunts and fishing trips for several years. As for Jake, Mike got us together in late summer of 2013, We spent a lot of time together. A lot, the first three years, especially.
WHAT DOES MENTORING MEAN TO YOU?
To me, mentoring is nothing "special." It's what people are supposed to do. People are to help people, adults are to help kids, adult care to help oder adults. Mentoring Jake has been one of the most enjoyable friendships I've found in the outdoors. It's been very satisfying, very productive and, most importantly, so much more fun than just hunting on my own. At my stage of my outdoor career, it's refreshing to spend time afield with someone who takes nothing for granted and thinks even the little accomplishment is a mighty victory.
WHO WAS/IS YOUR MENTOR?
Jacob Holem, of El Dorado. We started when he was 11. He's a senior in high school now. The mentoring has lead into a tight, tight friendship. We understand things about each most of our other friends do not. We're to the point now where he's taking me on hunting and fishing trips. From day one, I told him he'd have to pay it forward, and he has. Jake's taken Big/Little pairs on successful deer and spring turkey hunts. He's learned that giving time is better than taking time.
WHY DO YOU MENTOR?
Pretty well covered that above. Helping others is how I was raised. It's so much fun too see the outdoors through a beginner's eyes. It gives me more reason to spend time outdoors. It's very fulfilling to watch someone, a young someone, fall in love with the same outdoor passions I've developed through the years.
HOW CAN SOMEONE ELSE MENTOR?
Contact the Pass It On Outdoors Mentors Program. They couldn't make it any easier. They help with the match and have access to some fantastic outdoor opportunities. You don't have to be an expert hunter or angler, either. Many of the program best matches saw the big and little learning together.
WHAT IS YOUR ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BECOME A MENTOR?
Take a deep breath, pull out your phone and contact the Pass It On Program. That's all you need to do to get started. You'll be amazed at the opportunities that are out there and the enjoyment you'll find.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MENTORING MOMENT?
Geez, narrow it down to a year, or a month, or a species of bird or fish or deer, or...That's tough. It was the moments when Jake would look up with his huge, famous smile and I could see just how happy he was to have someone spending time with him in the outdoors. There was a time I stopped by, 20 minutes ahead of time, to get him to go trout fishing in Missouri. He was already sitting in the driveway, waiting, looking up the street. The smile that crossed his face every time he saw me driving up was priceless.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A MENTOR AND TRYING TO SHARE YOUR PASSION FOR HUNTING?
Honestly, there haven't been many. I was blessed that Jake's mom was 100-percent supportive in my getting her kid outdoors, where he wanted to be. I guess my challenge was that never seemed like we spent enough time together...even though we were afield together danged near every weekend.