From Mentee to Mentor: PVA national president’s journey of giving back
By Robert Thomas Jr.
In my two previous articles, I gave you some insight into how I was injured and my road to recovery, which led me to become a member of Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA).
The one thing I failed to mention, besides getting involved in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and becoming a PVA volunteer, is the people who helped me along my journey. These individuals played an instrumental part in helping me understand my new way of life and reintegrate into society.
Once I started using my wheelchair for a couple of hours at a time, I would go down to the smoke room (yes, back then they had smoke rooms in the spinal cord injury units) because it seemed like everyone would go and gather there.
One day, I met a man named Terry Tyna, who at the time was the PVA Buckeye Chapter’s national director. Terry began telling me about how he was looking for some young men and women to take an interest in serving on the chapter’s board of directors or just becoming a volunteer for the organization. I told him I didn’t know anything about PVA. I was just injured and needed to find my way before trying to help others.
From that point on, Terry came back to my bedside every day, and we would talk about the organization and how and why I should get involved. He also answered a lot of personal questions that I had about my new way of life, such as, “How do people look at you in public? Will I still be able to maintain my independence? Will I be able to drive a car?” These were just a few questions, but there were many more we discussed.
After several months of being mentored, I finally gained enough confidence to join the chapter’s board as an alternate. Shortly thereafter, I transitioned from being a mentee to a mentor.
Understanding how it feels to be away from your family and not have anyone to listen to you, my duty was to go around to the newly injured individuals and just be a listening post for them to talk about whatever they wanted to discuss.
Having an organization such as PVA filled with individuals who are willing to take time out of their busy schedules to help a stranger understand a new way of life through mentorship is amazing.
I would say to each and every one of you reading this article, if you’ve ever been in
the position of being a mentee and that interaction got you through some challenging times, then it’s time for you to make that transition from mentee to mentor and to help your fellow PVA members.
