Senior Mentor Series – Meet Kayla Griffin & Ruchi Asher
Kayla Griffin, Division Supervisor at Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts
Ruchi Asher, Assistant U.S. Attorney at United State Attorney’s Office
Where are you from?
Kayla: I’m from Youngstown. College (Cleveland State University) brought me to Cleveland.
Ruchi: I’m from Cincinnati. My alma mater (Case Reserve Western University) also brought me to Cleveland.
How did you learn about Minds Matter Cleveland?
Kayla: It was from word-of-mouth for me, Danielle Best (VP of Mentors) told me about this organization.
Ruchi: I learned about Minds Matter from networking with Meredith Shoop (Executive Vice President).
How long have you been a volunteer?
Kayla & Ruchi: We both have been volunteers for three years!
What do you like most about Minds Matter Cleveland?
Kayla: What Minds Matter can offer is truly invaluable, from the relationships built among mentors and mentees, to the very unique opportunities that our students get exposed to. I really enjoy seeing them have those kinds of experience.
Ruchi: I previously taught and tutored kids, so I knew that I wanted to continue doing something like that. I can strongly relate with Minds Matter’s mission as youth education has always been important to me. Also, I really like having a way to meet new professionals outside of the Cleveland legal community.
Who are your mentees?
Kayla & Ruchi: We have Lamia and Donne’Sha as our mentees. Lamia goes to St. Mary’s School and Donne’Sha attends Cleveland Early College High School (John Hay).
What is/are the most rewarding part(s) of your mentoring experience?
Kayla & Ruchi: We both felt a sense of personal responsibility for our mentees’ well-beings and academic endeavors, while serving as that pushing force to guide them in the right direction.
As for the most rewarding part of our mentoring experience, we have to agree on the part where we get to learn about all the colleges/universities our mentees have gotten into. It is inspiring to see how hard they have worked to get here! It is also fun to witness how much they have grown and come out of their “shells” to become much more confident with their abilities.
Together, they have been accepted to The Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Miami University, Ohio University, Howard University, and the list has continued to grow since this interview took place.
What does the future look like for your mentorship with the students after graduation?
Kayla & Ruchi: We’re coming to visit Lamia and Donne’Sha in college!
Kayla and Lamia