Paula C. Dirkes

Paula Dirkes, 2017 Michigan Mentor of the Year, earned her Bachelors degree in secondary education from Michigan State University and her Masters degree in Human Performance Improvement from the University of Michigan. She has worked in non-profits and for-profits and has taken on a variety of volunteer mentoring roles throughout her adult life. Since 2001 Paula has served in community-based mentoring (1 on 1 mentor), faith-based mentoring (pre-school, middle school and high school) and school-based mentoring (Teen Leadership program; Challenge Days). In 2007, Paula formed her company - Solid Pathways Consulting, LLC - to further the missions of youth organizations by empowering more adults to show up for kids as dependable role models. She is an author, speaker and youth advocate focused on making youth mentoring a social norm versus the exception. Paula offers tools and resouces that make it easier for adults to fit mentoring into their busy lives. In 2008 she published two ebooks: MENTORrific Women: Taking a Girl Under Your Wing and MENTORrific Success Stories: Inspiring Stories for Youth Mentors & Mentees. Her paperback book - Mentor Me! The Complete Guide for Women Who want to Mentor Girls - was published in January 2012 and was an Amazon.com bestseller. In 2017, she was the recipient of the Governor's Service Awards - Michigan Mentor of the Year. At present she is mentoring a 14 year old girl, serving on the Royal Oak Youth Assistance Board of Directors and coordinates a quarterly Mentor to Mentor support group. She lives in Berkley, Michigan.