Success Story: Kristian Nason

Kristian Nason has plenty of practice handling his own affairs. When he was a high school senior he worked full time and lived on his own. Then he worked construction for three years. But he still finds a great deal of value in the men's mentorship program at Pierce College at Puyallup.

"I'm looking to use someone's expertise to guide my decisions," he said. "It is good to have someone to talk to and to get feedback."

Balance is something he has found hard to achieve now that he's back in school and on the student programming board.

"I was nervous coming back to school as a 'nontraditional' student. I was afraid there would be no one to talk to, but Bret (Burkholder, mentor) was my advisor at registration and suggested the mentoring.

"I wasn't involved much in high school except for some baseball. I wanted to make an impact when I came to college. This is the most I've ever done. Bret encourages balance between school and student programs and he helps me with issues from my social life. It's easy to get distracted.

"I take school seriously. It is up to me to excel, but it is helpful to have positive reinforcement. Otherwise it would be easier to quit or give up."

He "did decent" at Eatonville High School, but had a bad attitude. After his time in construction, Nason wanted to grow his intellect. He had a 3.4 grade point average for his first quarter.

"It was important to me and important to my family," he said.