How One “Holy Cow” Moment Inspired Me To Mentor
By : Brittany French, CEO
In April 2015, I embarked on my first mentoring adventure with Pass It On Outdoor Mentors. It all began when Mike Christensen invited me to help with a youth turkey hunt. The program was in need of female mentors, specifically for girls eager to explore the outdoors. I grew up in the outdoors and couldn’t imagine a childhood without the smell of spring air, the crunch of leaves beneath my boots, galloping through southwest Kansas fields on horseback, or hunting and fishing with my family and friends. So, with little knowledge of the program but a heart full of enthusiasm, I eagerly said yes.
As I drove through the rolling Flint Hills that morning, a young boy in the backseat peppered me with questions, pointing at the landscape and asking, “Brittany, what is that?” Over and over again. Confused, I looked where he pointed and saw nothing out of the ordinary—just cows grazing peacefully. Then it hit me: this child had never seen cattle outside of a textbook or television. To him, cows were only black-and-white dairy animals. That “holy cow” moment, as we later joked, became something more profound—a turning point that opened my eyes to just how disconnected many children are from the natural world. It was in that moment that I recognized this wasn’t just a good program—it was a necessary one. And it needed to be multiplied across the country.
Later that day, we settled into a blind for the turkey hunt. The young lady beside me was wide-eyed, breathless, taking in the beauty of a new day dawning in the woods. The rustling leaves, the distant gobble of a tom turkey, the first golden rays of sunlight piercing the treetops—she was witnessing it all for the first time. That morning didn’t just change her. It changed me. Although we did not shoot a bird that morning, we learned significant lessons. Most importantly, I was inspired to be a mentor and stand in the gaps for kids who long to hunt, fish, and shoot.
Why It Matters
Hundreds of thousands of children grow up never setting foot in a wild place, never casting a line, or watching a deer bound through a field. Many of them don’t have a parent, grandparent, or neighbor who can take them. They don’t need the best gear, a fancy blind, or access to thousands of acres. They just need someone like you to invite them.
You Can Make A Difference
It only takes one moment. One opportunity to fall in love with the outdoors—and be changed forever.
You don’t have to be an expert hunter or an avid angler. You just have to care. You have to show up. When you do, you become the catalyst for a child’s lifelong connection to nature. A mentor isn’t just someone who teaches how to call turkeys or tie fishing knots. A mentor is someone who stands in the gap to offer opportunities by passing on their love, passion, and traditions of the outdoors.
Mentoring in the outdoors changes lives—both theirs and yours. It creates lasting bonds, renews your passion for nature, and gives kids confidence, curiosity, and a sense of belonging. You’re not just teaching outdoor skills; you’re shaping future conservationists and building a legacy rooted in connection, stewardship, and purpose.
Will You Be That Person?
If you've ever wondered how you can make a difference, this is it. Become a mentor. Commit your time, your patience, and your love for the outdoors to a child who’s never had the chance to experience it. Together, we can pass on the outdoor traditions that shaped us—and give today’s youth a future rooted in conservation.
Join us. Be the reason a child discovers their first deer track, hears their first gobble, or reels in their first fish. Be the one who helps us stand in that gap.
Mentor today. Change a life forever.https://outdoormentors.org/mentor