Black History Month Spotlight: Thaddeus Miles
Thaddeus is the definition of a man who wears many hats…both literally and figuratively. He is officially the Director Of Community Services at MassHousing, but unofficially, he is behind a number of initiatives in Boston that have attracted a large and loyal following. A well-known and highly respected community activist and photographer, Thaddeus has a longstanding commitment to empowering people with a dedicated focus on strengthening the voices and visions of young people, and he understands that an important component of this effort is mentoring. As a former board member and mentor at Alray Scholars, Thaddeus saw first-hand the transformative power of mentoring. Many college students were completely unprepared for the college experience, not financially, academically, mentally, or emotionally… Sadly, this was particularly the case with many BIPOC students. These young adults needed what every young person needs: someone to believe in them. At the end of the day, a mentor helps the mentee understand that they are loved, that they are worthy of love, and that they can love in return.
Thaddeus has experience both in being a mentor and a mentee. He remembered his first mentor was a coach in high school who instilled in him hope for the future. His next mentor was an officer in the Air Force who helped Thaddeus achieve a sought after early promotion. At that point, Thaddeus knew that throughout his life, he would seek out opportunities to “pay it forward” and offer young people the support and guidance they needed to achieve their goals.
In his current position at MassHousing, Thaddeus mentors summer interns. Thaddeus admits that he often learns more from them than they learn from him! He believes that young people need room to grow and breathe. He is a strong believer in reflective practice; when mentors share with their mentees, they learn about themselves, as well.
Thaddeus knows that young people have a kind of courage that adults need to recognize and value. We may initially see it as brash, but it comes from their enthusiasm and commitment to changing the world. He sees his job as helping young people move from their comfort zone, through fear, through learning, and ultimately to the growth zone. Good mentors facilitate and encourage this process and both mentor and mentee benefit from it.
Anne Comber is the Communications Manager at Mass Mentoring Partnership.