National Mentor Month: Young attorney finds it easy to make time for mentoring

Note: The Nevada Appeal, with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada Mentor Center, are honoring local mentors in January, National Mentor Month.

Moving all the way across the country to a place like Carson City can be a daunting thing when you're a young lawyer. Trevor Gross, 28, however, hit this transition running, and started mentoring not long after arriving.

Trevor is the pro bono coordinator for VARN - Volunteer Attorneys for Rural Nevada - in Carson City, and has been with his mentee Clayton since the summer. The two hit it off right away, and Clayton was excited to find that he had a mentor who could work with him on things he wanted to learn, like how to ride a bike.

Trevor and Clayton like to spend time doing "low-key fun stuff" which more often than not is cheap or free. During the warmer months, they spent time hiking, going to the park, kicking the soccer ball, riding bikes or just playing. As the snow has set in, they've found inside activities to fill the time. Going to the library, playing games at Comma Coffee, or bowling are among their top favorites.

They also like to participate in special events through the Mentor Center or those happening in the community. They have been to National Night Out at Mills Park together, a Reno Aces game, and The Nutcracker.

"All of this takes time, but working mentoring into my schedule hasn't been difficult because the time commitment is not demanding. It's only a few hours per week," Trevor said. "Once you make the commitment, you can find the time. An outing takes about as much time as watching a football or baseball game, so if you watch one less game on TV each week you have the time to be a mentor.

"Being a mentor is fun because you get to act like a little like a kid, too. Just by showing up consistently and giving a little bit of your time, you're having a positive influence on someone's life."

• Bridget Gordon is the outreach specialist for the Boys & Girls Clubs Mentor Center.