Who We Are:
We are mentors and mentoring leaders who want to get better.
We want to share everything we know with you.
We want to see you thrive so more kids get mentored.
I know what you’re thinking…
“Why Should I Trust You Can Mentor?”
Hi, I’m Zach Garza. I started You Can Mentor to be the organization I wish I had when I started my mentoring organization.
You might be wondering, “Why should I trust You Can Mentor?”
Great question. Well, let me try to answer that question...
As a fatherless kid, a mentor changed my life, and I want kids to experience the healing I experienced. I understand the challenges your mentee faces, and I believe lives are forever changed through relationships. That’s why I care about mentoring.
As a Mentoring Leader, I felt alone and like I didn’t know what I was doing. I felt an enormous amount of weight from carrying my mentoring organization, and it negatively impacted me and my family. I know what it’s like to lead a ministry. And it’s hard.
My journey began as a junior high youth minister, and for nearly a decade, I taught and coached in a low-income Dallas school. My passion lies in helping kids who were just like me, and becoming what I never had as a father.
As a mentor, I’ve witnessed kids rise from poverty to college graduates, but also faced the heartbreak of loss, incarceration, and the realities of life circumstances. Mentoring isn’t easy.
I founded a successful non-profit from scratch, serving hundreds of families while managing staff and volunteers, shaping budgets, leading board meetings, and executing strategic plans. My experience spans from a start-up to being a part of an $8 million budget in a large mentoring non-profit. I have navigated growth and expansion challenges, all while managing the stress that comes along with raising millions of dollars.
For over two decades, I’ve learned from both mistakes and successes in every area of running a ministry. I’ve taken my losses, but they have only made me better. As a self-taught mentoring leader, I’ve consulted numerous non-profits, helping them overcome obstacles while connecting through my podcast with countless mentoring leaders. I’ve been where you are, and I know the joys and challenges of running a ministry serving disadvantaged youth.
I’m here to support you on your leadership journey. While I don’t have all the answers, my experience equips me to help you navigate challenges. Your success leads to the ultimate success: more kids being mentored and more lives transformed by Jesus.
So that’s me.
What about you? What are your goals? How can I help you thrive?
Let me know. Your success is my success. — I’m here for you.
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Zachary Garza
Founder and Executive Director // Obsessed with Mentoring because God used mentoring to change his life.
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John Barnard
Podcast Guru // God used mentoring and skateboarding to save his life. 20 year+ experience in youth ministry.
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Silas Nacita
Marketing Dude // He's a kid from a hard place whose life has been transformed by Jesus. He makes really cool videos too.
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Taylor Nacita
Keeps Us All Organized // Using her past to help others.
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Gabriel Morfin
Video All-Star // Has a nice mustache. Makes us look good on screen.