Jen Pyne works at Asheville Coffee Roasters. She's into vegetable gardening, hiking with her dog, roller skating, and finding cool stuff at the Goodwill bins! She is a mentor because she thinks teens are pretty cool and that it would be fun to learn climbing together. She also remembers being under-confident and unsure of herself as a teen. Jen wishes she had had an older female role model to look up to or confide in. She looks forward to sharing her enthusiasm and sense of humor.
Vinessa Landolt is an art teacher and publicity/networking coordinator at Open Hearts Art Center. She loves hiking, berry picking, reading, yoga, running, creative projects and trying to climb. When she was 13, Vinessa found a great mentor in Amy Smith, a Young Life Coordinator. She decided to be a mentor because she wants other girls to have a similar experience. She's looking forward to having fun with the girls and learning to climb together.
Susan Smith teaches students of various ages with visual impairment and multiple physical and intellectual challenges at six schools. For fun, she likes reading, music, drums, bicycling, hiking, camping, picnicking and paddling. She has been thinking about becoming a mentor for years and is excited to have found a program that seems to fit. She is looking forward to challenging the girls, playing, climbing and learning together. At age fifteen, her mentor was her science teacher.
Diana Lynn works at Wachovia Bank. She enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, golf and reading. She has become a mentor because she has had many great mentors who have improved her life and she hopes to help improve someone else's life. She knows being a mentor will be a learning experience that will help her grow in her own life. Diana's mother was a mentor to her when she was a teenager.
Maggie Schultz is a massage therapist at The Cosmic Groove. She likes reading, yoga, hanging out with friends, gardening, playing cards and games and playing with her dog. She has become a mentor to help girls counteract the many negative messages they receive. Maggie looks forward to sharing life stories, good time, and the experience of learning to climb with the CTC girls. When she was 13 her mom and her sister were her mentors.
Sarah Danforth does outreach with mentally-ill homeless individuals for the PATH team of Homeward Bound of Asheville. She enjoys working in her ceramics studio, riding her bike, and spending time with her friends and dog. She decided to be a mentor because she likes hanging out with other women and girls doing fun, physical, empowering activities. She likes sharing her perspective with the girls. Sarah's mentor was Ms. Mary Bogrette, her 8th grade drama teacher. Sarah is serving her fourth session as a CTC mentor!
Sharlene Raines is an Asheville Police officer. She likes running and hiking. She has returned to volunteer for a second session as a mentor because she really enjoyed it the first time around. She looks forward to sharing with the girls the experience of learning to climb, team work, and positive, encouraging time together. Sharlene's grandmother was a mentor to her, even though she was 500 miles away.
Asia James is a case manager for AHOPE, a homeless shelter in Asheville. She loves rock climbing, watching movies, playing with her nieces and nephews, cooking and sewing. Asia is a mentor because she likes sharing the fun and challenge of climbing with a girl who might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn about herself in this way. She looks forward to sharing lots of laughs and mistakes. When Asia was 13, her three big sisters were her mentors, and she still looks to them for friendship and guidance.
Megan Donnelly studies education at UNC-Asheville and is a building supervisor at the UNC-A Health and Fitness Center. She likes to read and play, and enjoys good coffee, food and conversation. She's eager to be a mentor in order to relate to teens in a new capacity - outside the classroom. Megan admits she has a fear of heights, and looks forward to working through her fears alongside the girls. At age 13, Megan looked up to her dad's youngest sister. They share a fashion sense consisting of long floral skirts, straw hats and Dr. Marten's boots, and enjoyed discussing big issues over hot chocolate.
Ellen Bailey teaches French and Spanish at UNC-Asheville. She likes to ride her bike, hike, garden, spend time with her friends and cats, eat chocolate and swing dance. She has joined Climbing Toward Confidence in order to support a girl as she's growing up and learning about herself. She is looking forward to the challenge of being courageous and encouraging others to do so -- and to rock climbing! At age 13, Ellen looked up to her mom and a neighbor.
