The Lunch Buddy Mentor project welcomes a new lead mentor! 

Rachel Christenbury began working with psychology professor Tim Cavell as a research assistant in spring of 2024. Cavell, who also directs the LB mentor project, knew that her bubbly personality and attentiveness to others made her a great fit to mentor a local elementary school student, and shortly after her work as a research assistant began, Christenbury enrolled in the LB Mentor course as well.

In fall 2025, Christenbury will take on a new role as lead mentor. Alongside the current lead mentor, Isabel Taylor, she will act as support and guidance for new or returning mentors throughout the semester. Below, Christenbury shares what mentoring has been like for her so far.

"I started mentoring elementary students because I needed three credit hours, and now, I am looking forward to being a lead mentor next semester," Christenbury said. "Twice a week I drive to a local elementary school during lunch time. My time in the lunchroom is a really fun, easygoing and fruitful experience. When I first arrive, I meet my buddy in the lunch line and walk through the food service area. Then we take our seats at his class' lunch table and eat! It is such an interesting and unique thing to be immersed in the culture and atmosphere of today's elementary students. I have learned so much from them. But I have also taught them some pretty cool things.

"I try to think of games to play and jokes to tell when I am with my buddy and his friends. They are always eager to hear what older kids have to offer. One day I told them I could speak Pig Latin and they were amazed. I taught them how to speak it too and they were all so proud of their new accomplishment. Some days I interact a lot with my buddy and his classmates, which is fun, but other days, my buddy is more quiet and reserved, which is okay too! My main goal is to be his support no matter what kind of day he has had.

"One of the biggest rewards is seeing the students' perceptions of my presence as a Lunch Buddy. At first, many students were confused why I was there. But with time and consistency, many students expressed that they thought Lunch Buddies was cool and that they wanted one too. But the greatest joy is having my Lunch Buddy excited for lunchtime and getting to tell me all the things that have happened over the week. I believe that being his buddy has given him a new sense of confidence.

"I have loved the program so much, and now, I get to lead other mentors in this journey! In my opinion, lunch buddy mentoring is the best way to earn course credit. When else would you be able to eat lunch with elementary kids?"

If you are interested in becoming an LB mentor, submit an application for fall 2025 here!