By Allison L. Andersen, Content Designer
The Growing With Elevo series features mission-driven people from across our organization sharing their stories and growth experiences as they strive to make a positive impact for the students we serve every day. This month, we talked to Training Manager K’Lon Benson and learned more about his goal to become the mentor he was missing when he was in school.
K’Lon had support outside of school from his coaches on various sports teams, but he never had the opportunity to be part of an after-school program, to have a mentor, someone who could help with everyday school life, help him connect with other students, and generally fit in. He wanted to build a social life, but had no idea how to begin.
“I lacked confidence in certain areas. Something I always struggled with as a kid. How do I ask for help without being blamed for something? How do I find help when I need it? In my school, I was one of the very few black kids, so there were just times when I felt a little uncomfortable asking for help. Even with my peers, other students, how do I connect, how do I make friends? That’s something that I struggled with, and it’s something I still struggle with as an adult.”
This desire to create connections with others is a driving force in K’Lon’s life. Feeling unfulfilled in his warehouse position of Logistics Coordinator, he decided to look for something different. A search on Indeed led him to Elevo. The job description – Coach Peer Mentor – sparked something. For him, what made the biggest difference was Elevo’s mission: To transform the well-being of students so they look forward to coming to school. The Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) component through games and play also felt promising and like something he wanted to explore.
His first year as a coach was the most impactful for him. He worked at one elementary school with the same group of second grade students 5 days a week for an entire school year. “The kids were not always on their best behavior, but we worked together as a group. I felt like a part of the group. By the end of the year, you could just feel the connection. Going through it every single day. Finding ways to connect with the students through the games and finding ways for them to connect to each other, seeing the growth in them, and them seeing the growth in themselves was very impactful for me and them at the same time. They would give me bracelets they made and draw things for me, and I still have them because I want to remember those students.”
As much as he loved coaching, he was encouraged to move up. Even if he was unsure if he was ready, others could see he was. “I was still learning about myself, still learning how to manage and teach kids. I was still learning how to be a leader.” But, when the full-time position of Training Manager (TM) became available, he went for it and got it.
“The TM position gave me an extra lens. I was now a trainer for adults, but I came from being a coach for students. I could show them what I did and how I did it. I could see how I could support these Coaches based on my experiences.”
This position allows him to coach and mentor the Coaches, to share what he has learned working with students, how he has worked through various situations, and found resolutions. It also gives him the latitude to work with students directly, as part of his role is to be on site and coach the Coaches in real time, to point out opportunities and encourage engagement, sometimes through teachable moments, often by example.
K’Lon shares two more examples of impactful moments with students. As a Training Manager, one of his Coaches brought a kindergarten student to K’Lon’s attention. A young boy with behavioral issues. He was disruptive in class, and he wouldn’t follow directions from the Coaches. On this particular day, he refused to sit with the rest of the students for snack time, stomping off to sit alone against a pole instead. K’Lon tried talking to him without success. He wanted to find a way to engage the student, but first he wanted to make him comfortable enough to connect. He grabbed a soccer ball and asked the student if he wanted to kick it around with him. He didn’t. “So, I just started kicking the ball around by myself, up against the wall, and finally I kicked it to him where he was sitting. And, he kicked it back.” K’Lon invited the student to join him. He stood up and they kicked the ball around for a couple of minutes. And, that’s all it took. The student started talking and sharing. “Just playing a game made him happy and more comfortable, and it brought light to him. He recognized someone was paying attention and someone cared. Now, every time I go to his site, he comes up to me, ‘Hey, what’s up Coach K?’ Always sharing new stuff going on that day.”
In another situation, K’Lon noticed a young girl crying. When he asked her if she’d like to talk, she didn’t want to share, so he said, “How about we take a walk? As we walked, I reminded her to just breathe in, breathe out.” After a few moments, they found a place to sit. “Let’s regulate. Breathe in. Breathe out. Close your eyes. How do you feel? She said, ‘I feel fine now.’ She shared that another student accused her of not doing something, and she thought she was going to get in trouble for it. I told her not to worry and if that ever happened again to just let the Coach know.“
K’Lon particularly enjoys connecting through the games and the SEL discussions. “The Social-Emotional Learning is what’s so powerful, and I think that’s what sparks interest in the kids. The number one thing I’ve learned at Elevo is inclusivity; that’s what I like about it most. The curriculum allows us to work with a lot of different kinds of kids. Understanding that every kid has a different background. As long as we put our full effort into implementing it, it will reach its full potential.”
As a final thought, K’Lon offered, “In my journey with Elevo, I started out as a coach with zero confidence. In 2.5 years, I built my confidence and knowledge. I was a Quality Assurance Coordinator and a Lead Coach. When the Training Manager position opened up, I finally took the advice of my managers and peers and went for it. I have had upward mobility that is continuing to build my confidence by working with so many different kids in so many different areas. Throughout this whole journey I’ve been learning from everybody, every coach I’ve worked with, every trainer I’ve worked with, everyone I’ve encountered, including the students, that’s what has made me who I am today.”
