Cabot Chronicle Article April, 2026




For this month’s article I’ve asked one of our volunteer mentors, Tammy Cookson, to share about her mentoring experience. Here is her submission:


Mentoring a student in our community has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve chosen to do with my time. I found myself with a little free time and was hoping for a meaningful way to give back to our small community. When I learned about the opportunity to mentor a school-aged child—from grade school through high school—it felt like a simple way to make a difference.

The commitment is very manageable: we meet just twice a month for a few hours at a time. Those few hours, however, can mean a lot. The focus isn’t on doing anything elaborate—it’s really about spending time together, talking, and sharing everyday activities.

So far we’ve enjoyed simple things like playing card games and board games, and even collecting eggs from my chickens. Sometimes the best moments come from just chatting and laughing while doing something ordinary. It’s been fun getting to know each other and watching confidence and comfort grow over time.

We’re especially looking forward to the warmer months ahead, when we can spend more time outdoors—maybe having a picnic or going swimming. Having those things to look forward to together makes the experience even more special.

If you’ve ever thought about mentoring, I would encourage you to consider it. It doesn’t take a huge time commitment, but it can make a meaningful impact—for both the student and the mentor. In a small community like ours, those connections really matter.

-Tammy Cookson


The Cabot Mentoring Program has Cabot youth waiting to be matched with a volunteer adult. The initial commitment is for one year of meeting with the mentee 4-6 hours a month. Please contact us if you would like to learn more about the program at:

Phone: 802-595-1130, Mark Christensen, Cabot Mentoring Coordinator

Email: cabotmentoring@gmail.com

Website: cabotmentoring.org
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