Gateway employees Betty Howard and Carianne Kunich are known for their willingness to go above and beyond for the school community.
The pair have helped Gateway Middle School’s girls basketball team for years and found it as a useful outlet to help mentor young girls. Three years ago, they took their roles to a new level, starting a mentorship program that helps girls in grades 8-12 work through common issues, explore careers and spearhead service projects.
“I feel like we’ve had a lot of success with kids, just through being involved with sports. And we just saw that getting them involved mattered. So we started this mentorship group, too,” said Kunich, a speech language pathologist in the district.
“We meet with them to go over many topics, like self-esteem. And we’ve taken them on field trips to explore careers. The girls have found it to be really beneficial,” she added.
The program accepts 10 girls in eighth grade each school year, and aims to keep them involved through graduation. The middle school girls meet as a group twice a month with Howard and Kunich, while the high school girls meet about once a month.
Teachers Sally Martin and Christy Jackel also help with the group.
Topics for each meeting vary, but Howard and Kunich put a special emphasis on common issues for teen girls.
“Some big topics are their self-esteem and letting them know that they’re enough. We just talk real to them. It’s just real conversations, and I think that’s why it works. We’re not talking down to them or preaching. And the other girls share their thoughts as well. It’s just a safe space to do it. We’re not going to judge them,” said Howard, a middle school counselor.
“If you’re feeling good and confident about yourself, then everything else falls into place, from academics to relationships. We’re always talking about speaking up for yourself and getting people to hear you, since there’s a difference between being assertive and aggressive. That’s the main focus, we really try to give them that confidence and support in that area,” Howard said.
Howard and Kunich said they have seen a lot of success with the program, watching girls come into their own, gain confidence and support each other.
“We’ve built a rapport and a bond, and we want these girls to know that we’re here for them, and if you talk about issues, you can resolve them,” Howard said.
“We’re seeing them support each other. They didn’t all necessarily know each other, but since we’ve gone on all these trips, you’ve seen this bond and support system building,” she said. “And that’s why we do it.”
The group has gone on a number of trips and heard from several speakers over the three years that they’ve been together. Students have visited colleges such as Duquesne and Point Park universities, and also heard from professionals in a variety of careers, from TV news reporting, cosmetology, trucking, construction and more.
“We have male and female speakers, but it’s always nice for them to see females in nontraditional roles,” Kunich said.
The group also focuses on service projects each year. Last year, the group raised money for the Ronald McDonald House. This year, the project became personal for Kunich.
Her brother-in-law, Steve Buches, started Stephen’s Hulksters, a charitable organization that works to relieve the financial burdens that special needs families encounter when caring for their loved one. The organization was started in honor of his son, who passed away in 2024 at eight years old because of complications from a rare genetic gene mutation.
The mentorship group raised money for the foundation, making a video to promote the foundation and selling lollipops, bracelets and gift baskets throughout the district’s schools. The project raised $1,748.50, which will be spent on a specialty stroller for an 11-year-old boy who has a condition similar to Buches’ son.
“The girls did a lot with writing the script and putting together the video. They really bought into this whole project. They’re really creative and they’re really starting to come into their own and find out what they’re interested in,” Howard said.
“They worked so hard. They were very responsible and watching the kids come out of their shells and helping for a good cause was incredible,” Kunich added. “This keeps me going. It just makes me smile thinking about it. I can’t wait to see this group graduate and see what they do.”