If you’ve been waiting for another episode of A Day in the Life, it’s finally here! This month, we’re covering a staff member who takes on two roles at Ascend as both a Mentor and our Boxing Instructor for the Trails House. Wondering what he does? Follow along as we take a look at a day in Alexander’s life at Ascend.
What Does a Mentor Do?
Mentors at Ascend are the glue that holds our organization together. Alexander is a mentor at the Trails House, where he builds relationships with clients and helps them keep them on schedule during the day. Mentors also support our clients when they’re feeling negative, reminding them of their successes and encouraging them throughout the entire healing journey.
Some of Alexander’s other mentor responsibilities include keeping the house clean, leading any mentoring groups, and reinforcing life skills that help our clients build healthy habits for the future.
How Does Boxing Work at Ascend?
In addition to his mentoring role, Alexander is also in charge of the boxing group at Trails. He comes in first thing in the morning to get the clients ready for a session. He confirms they have water, that they’ve used the bathroom, and that they’re wearing appropriate clothing. Then the class actually starts.
First, the clients warm up with some light stretching and easy cardio activities. Some days, clients get their gloves on and work punching combinations, while other days, Alexander puts on some Salsa music and has them practicing their footwork and head movements — staying on the beat to keep the energy high and the pace fast.
Depending on the session, Alexander may guide clients through using punching bags, hand mitts, jump ropes, and protective wraps and gloves. Many days, Alexander also includes some self-defense techniques alongside exercises that prioritize self-discipline, breathing, and maintaining focus through distractions.
A Day In Alexander’s Life
A typical day for Alexander starts at 8 am, where he jumps into a one-hour boxing session with the clients first thing. He then moves on with the rest of the day as a mentor. While each day is a little bit different, he does his best to keep the clients on a regular schedule and stay focused during groups throughout the week.
Most days, Alexander works with Hernst Bellevue, our Trails educator, because he has a unique insight into what keeps our clients engaged and excited. Hernst has tons of ideas that help Alexander develop better boxing classes for clients with new music, different training techniques, and goal-directing strategies they do alongside the physical workout.
Why We Love Alexander
Alexander’s contributions as a mentor at Ascend have been invaluable, but where he really shines is during his boxing classes. When Dr. Kyle saw how positively physical activities affected our clients, he approached Alexander with the idea that having a formal teacher would be more beneficial than just letting the clients play around during their free time.
As the kids transformed under his tutelage, so did Alexander. While he may have had a strong sense of compassion and tons of patience with the clients before, after adding boxing classes to his repertoire, he’s so much more disciplined, focused, and patient with others. He’s become an amazing leader that our clients trust.
In his time at Ascend, Alexander has also proved his adaptability to the unexpected surprises inherent in mental healthcare. He’s shown that he’s an effective communicator, passing on critical information about clients to other mentors, nurses, and clinicians, ensuring continuity of care no matter who’s on the floor at any given moment.
He’s also been such a great asset to our team because the clients love his boxing classes. Many express how it’s the highlight of their day, helping them find their confidence and motivation. We’ve seen how transformative even one boxing class with Alexander can be, as every client’s mood is much improved after every session.
Alexander Loves Ascend
We love having Alexander on our team, and it’s clear that he loves working for us, too! One of his favorite things about working at Ascend is working with so many different personalities, whether it’s the clients or the staff. Helping people learn more about themselves through boxing is an opportunity he’s never had before. He finds his time at Ascend challenging and inspiring.
Getting to watch as clients learn, grow, and transform has been an incredibly fulfilling experience for Alexander. He sees the difference from their first day to their last. Clients often come in nervous, sullen, and unsure whether Ascend is the right place for them. But, with our team’s support and guidance, clients realize they have the skills to explore the opportunities ahead of them and deal with whatever obstacles arise in the future.
Life Outside of Ascend
It’s tempting to think that work at Ascend is all-consuming, but Alexander has a lot of passions outside of his job. He’s currently working on an album, modeling for a variety of clothing brands, and directing music videos for successful artists in Los Angeles. Exploring his interests outside of work also provides him with motivation and inspiration he uses to bring his unique perspective to Ascend’s community.
Get Another Glimpse
If you enjoyed this look into life behind the scenes at Ascend, we have much more for you to explore! Check out our blog to discover monthly spotlights that cover nearly every position at Ascend, including administrative roles, clinical positions, and facility management.
