“You can always make time for a child who needs you.”
When Adrienne McKeown first signed up to be a mentor 20 years ago, she was a young professional with coworkers who encouraged her to try it out. Since then, she’s mentored several students, offering a steady presence and planting seeds of acceptance that will continue to grow in ways she’ll likely never fully witness.
“I started my career at Citibank, which has always been extremely active at giving back to the community,” says Adrienne. “My first mentee was a girl in second grade, and we met together all the way through to high school. When she invited me to her graduation, I knew I had made an impact.”
The wife and mother of three also holds dual roles as Executive Director of Harrisburg Baseball Association and Executive Director of Harrisburg Community Foundation and serves on the board of directors for the Sioux Empire United Way. She says, “Even if you are super busy, you can always make time for a child who needs you.”
Ten years ago Adrienne was matched with a new mentee at the same school where her own children attended. Teagan Montgomery recently had moved to Harrisburg herself, and the second grader just needed a positive person in her life.
“I remember meeting her in the lunchroom at Liberty. Right away I knew she had a huge heart, was wise beyond her years and was not shy,” Adrienne says with a laugh.
The pair hit it off right away. Early on in their relationship, Adrienne helped encourage Teagan about everyday healthy habits, like brushing her teeth. In middle school, they talked about how to handle bullying. By high school, Adrienne was helping Teagan make college plans, navigate breakups and gain financial literacy.
“My son was in her same grade. As she was experiencing her first prom, I knew what questions to ask because I had some of the information as a parent. I had the extra advantage that I was also a parent to one of her classmates,” says Adrienne.
While some mentees enjoy playing games or working on crafts, Teagan just wanted to chat.
“It was just a mini lunch date every week. I let her lead the way. It was her time, and I followed her lead. It goes really fast,” says Adrienne. “We both live in a small town, so I would run into Teagan and her family in the gas station or grocery store. Over time I became a family friend as well. A lot of the relationship building was just being a sounding board and a listening ear.”
Teagan graduated from high school last spring and has received a Build Dakota scholarship to attend Southeast Technical College this fall. She loves kids, and her goal is to work at a childcare center.
“Teagan has always known what she wanted for herself and has stayed committed to those goals. She always knew where she was heading,” Adrienne says.
“The biggest part of being a mentor is just showing up,” she continues. “There are weeks when you show up and you aren’t sure if they care if you are there or not. But it became very clear at the end of our formal mentoring relationship that I definitely made an impact.”
Teagan sent Adrienne a touching text message after their final official meeting. It reads in part:
I don’t even know how to write this without crying because how do you say goodbye to someone who has been such a huge part of your life for 10 years?
Since 2nd grade, you’ve been there through everything. You were never just my mentor—you became my safe place, my second mom, someone I could run to no matter what I was going through. And now that I’m a senior and today was our last day meeting, my heart just hurts in a way I can’t even explain.
Thank you for showing up to my life—my choir concerts, school events and even the small things that probably didn’t seem like a big deal to anyone else, but meant everything to me. You helped shape me into the person I am today. I honestly don’t know who I would be without you.
The feeling is mutual, says Adrienne.
“When Teagan was in elementary school, she made me a Christmas ornament. It gives me such joy to hang it on the tree every year. She has left a lasting imprint on my life as well.”
Adrienne and Teagan also are part of an incredible 25-year history. LSS of South Dakota’s mentoring program began in 2001 and has positively impacted more than 6,800 young people across eastern South Dakota since its inception. Adrienne encourages others to give mentoring a try.
“All you have to do is raise your hand and sign up to be someone else’s friend. LSS will fill out some paperwork. Next thing you know you are making a difference,” she says. “It’s always scary as an adult to meet someone new, but kids are so open to meeting new people and making new friends. You can build a relationship quickly, and they learn to trust you and you become a part of their life. I don’t know that there are any qualifications required to make a difference in the life of a child. There isn’t an instruction manual. You just need to give an hour a week.”
This fall Adrienne is starting the school year with a new mentee and is back in an elementary school for lunch once a week. She and Teagan also are continuing to meet about monthly but with a new sense of connection.
“Now we are just friends going out for lunch,” says Adrienne. “Now we have more than a short lunch break. Now we can eat whatever we want. Teagan identifies this as a relationship that is good for her and wants to keep it going. This is what we have been spending 10 years building.”
