Supporting, encouraging and empowering young women and young men is important to the members of Mount Ellis Academy Adventist Church, in Bozeman, Montana. Because of their onsite proximity to Mount Ellis Academy, they have been able to do this by sponsoring a special mentoring program that matches willing members with students.
In September 2024, the teens were treated to separate weekend retreats, with several mentors participating. Girls and mentors enjoyed a meet-and-greet Friday evening focused on the empowerment of picking healthy friendships and they created friendship band keepsakes. After breakfast prepared by the mentors, they spent the rest of the Sabbath at a campsite on Hyalite Lake enjoying nature and each other.
“Girls retreat was a blast! We got to meet our mentors and eat snacks the first night. Saturday we went out to a lake for the day,” said Isabel Blair, MEA freshman. “We used paddleboards, hiked to a waterfall, played games and ended the night with hotdogs and s’mores — one of the best times ever!”
Meanwhile, the boys loaded up for a camping weekend at North Meadow. At the event coordinated by Dale March with equipment provided by numerous members, the boys enjoyed two days of riding dirt bikes and four-wheelers and adventuring on challenging trails.
“This year's boys retreat went great!” enthused Lucas Lindberg, MEA sophomore. “We arrived at the campsite on Friday, set up our tents and ate some delicious food which the chefs made for us. Saturday we rode our vehicles up the nearby trail, and when we arrived I was astonished. The lake was very clear and there was snow on the ground. This year's boys retreat was fun and exciting, and I would recommend it to any boys who are interested.”
Ingrid Stuart and Eric Beavon, Mount Ellis Academy Church members, teamed up with Sheila Elwin to coordinate the two programs this year. The boys program had two trial runs in past years and started fresh this school year with pairs of men teamed with groups of three or four boys. The girls program matches individual women and girls and has been active since 2007.
Stuart, a founder of the girls program, noted that it started “as a response to young ladies trying to navigate life away from home but still needing a loving adult to provide some stability and mentorship." There have been opportunities for growth and empowerment through retreats, outreach, self-defense training and simply fun times spent together.
“I’ve seen so many awesome bonds develop between girls and their mentors that have lasted well beyond academy years," said Stuart. "I’m incredibly grateful for these women who invest in the girls year after year and that the girls open themselves up to these connections.”
Jana Price, mentor, (right) leads a small group in discussing accomplishments,
goals and self-care at the girls retreat.
Twelve years ago, Ingrid Stuart (right) mentored then-student Mackenzie
Candelaria (left). Now Candelaria continues the tradition and mentors
her own academy girl.
The boys, a few mentors and several other church members experience a rugged adventure, testing their abilities, teamwork and patience at the boys retreat.
Retreats are a time for relaxation, bonding and entering the presence of God in nature.
