Pinellas County Schools looks for mentors to meet high student demand

LARGO, Fla. — To some kids, he’s known as Mr. Steve.

“I see myself in them, the young boy that I was, without a dad, needed some guidance, just needed a little help,” said Steven Sorrells. "I made good grades, but I just didn’t have that father figure in the home, and so I kinda help provide that for most of them."

WATCH: Pinellas County Schools looks for mentors to meet high student demand

Sorrells has been a mentor for Pinellas County Schools for six years.

Tampa Bay 28 caught up with him at Seminole Middle School in Largo, where he met several students.

Sorrells mentors 12 students across four schools, and he shared how it’s been a blessing.

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“It came at a point after my wife had passed away, and so I was helping kids, or so I thought, and I found out really they were helping me,” he said.

The district is looking for more people like Sorrells.

Pinellas County Schools said nearly 400 students in the district are currently waiting to be matched with a mentor. To meet that demand, some volunteers are mentoring more than one student each week.

“There is a trickle down effect of the positivity,” said Mistine Dawe, the director of Strategic Partnerships. "Having mentors increases our students’ attendance, it increases their engagement within their schools, and it also reduces their discipline."

8th grade student Kevatae Dowdy explained how it’s more than talking grades.

“He’s a really nice guy to look up to and a nice man,” Dowdy said. "He helps us with a lot and become better people.”

Sorrells said it’s a sacrifice that may take up a little time in your day, but it's one that pays off in more ways than one.

“Children are our future, and it’s an investment into the lives of some kid,” said Sorrells. "A kid is one adult away from being a success, and hopefully I can be that adult.”

Opportunities include in-person, one-on-one and small group settings.

The district said mentor training is now available through an online course.