Roger and Payton

January 2018 TeamMates of the Month:  Getting Down to Business

Lincoln Southeast senior, Payton, can remember meeting his mentor for the first time like it was yesterday. “He had an Amigos watch on and I asked ‘why do you have an Amigos watch? Do you work there?’” Payton, who was in sixth grade at Irving Middle School at the time, had no idea he was being matched with Amigos founder, Roger Moore.

Mentoring is not new to Roger. As a college student at UNL, he worked at the Nebraska Human Resources Research Foundation – now the Nebraska Human Resources Institute – as a ‘counselor’. NHRRF, founded by Dr. Don Clifton and Dr. William Hall, matched college students with ‘counselees’ of various ages and backgrounds. Roger maintained one-on-one relationships with two different counselees and helped them develop their leadership skills.

Roger was also knowledgeable of the TeamMates mission and impact, as Amigos is a longtime supporter of the annual TeamMates Gala. But it wasn’t until he heard LPS Superintendent, Dr. Steve Joel, talk about his experience that he decided to become a TeamMates mentor. “I thought ‘if he can do it time-wise, I can do it.’”

Payton and Roger primarily spend their weekly meetings discussing schoolwork. Payton says, “He likes to check in on how I’m doing with my grades. I want to go to college and get a business degree and just having that extra motivator is good.” Being matched with Roger, a successful business owner, has helped Payton focus on his goal of opening his own coffee shop. “I think if he puts his mind to it and doesn’t give up, he’s got a great concept,” says Roger.

“Every aspect of how a business is ran fascinates me,” says Payton. “I got fascinated by it when he started talking to me about Amigos. He’s told me about his experiences and it creates a lot of motivation to do what you want, not give up, and just go your own route.”

Payton and Roger make time to have fun, too. A favorite memory they share is from the 2017 TeamMates Gala. With prior approval from the TeamMates office and the required paperwork submitted, Payton and his father were able to attend with Roger. Payton and his father had the chance to meet Tom Osborne and have their picture taken with him. Payton admits it was overwhelming to be around so many successful people, but he was thrilled to see his namesake, Payton Manning, in person.

Payton explains that he has gained more than just business advice from his mentor.

“If I didn’t have a TeamMate, I wouldn’t have that extra friend.”