The Power of Authentic Relationships

Whole Hearts, Minds & Bodies mentor Jacqui Campos-Araujo has always valued personal connections. Growing up in Truckee, California, she was always surrounded by a tight-knight family unit and a sense of community. Throughout high school, home was a safe place. It was a place of stability where friends and family could gather to talk, laugh, share a meal, and just be together. So it only made sense that after graduating from college she eventually made her way back to her hometown, joining Gateway Mountain Center as a therapeutic mentor.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of this program and working with youths is the opportunity to guide them through first-time experiences, like ice-skating or sledding,” says Jacqui.

She shares the story of an experience with one of her Whole Hearts mentees who had never been ice-skating before. The pair went to the skating rink at Northstar California Resort and despite being excited to finally try skating, the mentee remained nervous.

“It was truly a gift to be there, offering encouragement and support as she stepped out of her comfort zone,” Jacqui recalls. “Despite a few falls, she got up every time and kept trying. The best moment came when I saw the pride and joy on her face after accomplishing something new. It’s a powerful reminder of how these experiences can be transformative, not just for them but for me as well.”

For Jacqui, such experiences are so much more than just fun activities—they’re opportunities for growth, confidence building, and trust. 

Whole Hearts, Minds & Bodies therapeutic mentor Jacqui Campos-Araujo

Coming Full Circle

“I love being a mentor because I have personally benefited from having mentors and know the power that type of relationship comes with,” says Jacqui. “Being a role model and just feeling supported by someone who is not my parent or not my friends, but someone that I can connect with, there’s no preconceived anything. They’re just there for you. They care and it’s a very authentic relationship.”

As a student at Truckee High, Jacqui become involved with La Fuerza Latina, a program started by English teacher Craig Rowe, which helps local Latinx students navigate the college process. Mentors, former students who had already been through the process themselves, would share their own experiences and guide the high schoolers.

“La Fuerza Latina is a college access program that helps Latinx students pursue higher education,” says Jacqui. “That means helping us through the journey of applying, writing essays, getting involved in the community, and accessing local scholarships.”

She didn’t realize it at the time, but it was the power of those personal connections that would drive her future. At first, she was in the student role, learning how to network with organizations that offered scholarship opportunities, and apply to colleges. As time passed, Jacqui grew more entrenched in the program, going from mentee to mentor, sharing her own story.

“Through La Fuerza Latina is how I became involved a lot in the community.”

The Path Home

With a sense of community at the forefront, Jacqui found herself at Pitzer College, a small liberal arts college in Claremont, California.

“I really appreciate the feeling of community,” says Jacqui, who graduated with a degree in human biology with an emphasis in cross-cultural health and healing. “I was very focused on the overall health and well-being of individuals and communities, but I wasn’t exactly sure what that looked like career-wise. At first, it was premed, maybe public health. I wasn’t really sure, so after I graduated, I completed a yearlong service fellowship in rural Alabama.”

Jacqui was immersed in community health. She worked one-on-one with individuals in their homes, nursing facilities, and schools, many of whom had mental health and/or chronic illness. Her job was to provide consistent caring relationships and to focus on the complete picture of their mental, physical and social well-being, making sure they felt well supported through active listening, showing empathy, and building trust.

As her year in Alabama ended, Jacqui pondered her next move and whether that included going to medical school or maybe a career in public health or social work. She quickly realized that she was happiest and most thriving when she was working with kids.

“It was challenging, but I loved it,” she said. “I love working with kids—outside of the classroom—making sure that they feel supported, making sure that they have a safe environment, making sure they feel cared for. These are all important things for their educationand overall well-being.”

Jacqui leads youths in a variety of mindfulness and outdoor activities, including hikes, scavenger hunts, vision boards, and goal setting.

A Natural Progression

Reflecting back to her own youth, Jacqui realized that this type of thing was something she had always done.

“Even in high school, I was part of Aim High, a local summer program, which I attended as a student for four years. Then I volunteered and went back to be a co-teacher, and the next year I came back to be a teacher,” she recalls with a laugh. “It was just kind of like a linear path. I’ve always worked with kids, and I always loved working with kids.”

So it was a natural progression that Jacqui’s desire to work with young people, helping them to feel supported and understood, led her to become a mentor with Gateway’s Whole Hearts, Minds & Bodies program in Truckee. It was her mentor from the La Fuerza Latina program, Craig Rowe, who first told Jacqui that Gateway was looking for mentors, specifically bilingual mentors to work with youths from the local Latinx community.

Admittedly, Jacqui was a little nervous about coming back to the community where she had grown up up to see what it offered her as an adult seeking a career path. As soon as she met with program director Crystal Cunning and administrative case manager Sandy Umphrey, however, her fears subsided.

“Joining the Whole Hearts program as a mentor has been an incredibly meaningful experience,” she says. “I’m thankful for the chance to serve within my community and follow my passion for supporting youth. Witnessing the impact of a caring, supportive mentor inspires me every day and reinforces the importance of this work.”