TGR Newsfeed

With proceeds from The Genesis Invitational benefitting TGR Foundation, the flagship TGR Learning Lab will bring the award-winning curricula and hands-on activities to Family Village throughout the tournament. Located near three green and 15 tee, the TGR Learning Lab powered by CDW, Microsoft Surface and Tech Fore! Kids has activities planned for youth of all ages.

When I count my blessings, I count Brian Fredrick, my Earl Woods Scholar mentor, twice. I don’t quite know the process that the TGR Foundation used to match me and Brian up, but ever since we were introduced to each other the summer before my freshman year at Lehigh University, we have connected. Brian was not only interested in knowing me and my aspirations as a first-generation college-bound student, he was also eager to meet my family and see how they fit into the picture. I appreciated his eagerness to involve my parents in this process and learn a thing or two about my Ethiopian culture.

From Traip Academy High School in Kittery, Maine to the United States Pentagon in Arlington, VA, General Trent Edwards has had many life experiences. In his latest appointment as an Earl Woods Scholar Mentor he was matched with Julian Smith, a freshman at Clark Atlanta University, and has already begun sharing special moments, learning from his mentee’s perspective and helping him develop healthy habits on his road to college and career success.

General Edwards recently took a moment to reflect on his experience thus far, share the value of mentoring and provide tips for building strong relationships as we celebrate National Mentoring Month.

Growing up, I always tried to keep a serious face. Not because I wasn’t a happy person but because I never liked my smile. No matter how many times I practiced smiling in front of a mirror, when it was time for a picture, I would try my best to avoid it. My insecurities made me extremely timid. However, whenever I was able to do anything science or math-related, I came out of my shell. I did not care where I was or what I looked like. I just wanted to learn because it was fun for me.

Fast forward to my first year of college, I was very excited; I had the chance to study computer science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). I had nearly perfect grades, and I genuinely loved what I was studying. I felt like I did when I was learning as a child.

When I was teaching there were distinct times of the year that kids exhibited high stress and anxiety as it relates to completing assignments. It was common to see students, usually in gifted programs, bogged down with the pressures of academia. We took it as a norm; school, studying and exams can be stressful. Today, however, many more students are feeling the pressures of school, which can be daunting and, for many, debilitating.

Educators have a moral duty to help the young people under their care learn to cope and thrive beyond merely achieving competency through their prescribed curriculum. There are many ways educators can motivate, reinforce and change the tide of mental health concerns among their students.