Mentor Spotlight: Meet Melissa DeStefano

Mentorship is at the core of our work. We seek mentors who bring lived experience, empathy, and consistency to our programs, helping create a space where queer youth can confidently grow and gain life experience…Ideally with more knowledge than we had growing up.

Which is why we were fortunate enough to welcome one of our newest mentors, Melissa DeStefano.

Melissa first connected with Rainbow Labs while looking for ways to get more involved in supporting LGBTQ+ youth in her community. After learning more about the organization and its mission, she felt an immediate connection.

“As a queer person who had mentors growing up, but who weren’t necessarily queer or out to me, it really resonated,” DeStefano said.

After attending one of Rainbow Labs’ events, she knew she wanted to be more involved.

“It was beautiful and inspiring,” she said. “I remember thinking, ‘I definitely want to be involved with this.’ After that, I connected with Roy, went through the mentor process in the fall, and started mentoring in January.”

Although DeStefano didn’t participate in a formal mentorship program growing up, she did have adults who played a pivotal role in her life.

“I had unofficial mentors,” she said. “I had a photography teacher in high school I became really close with, and a coach in sports who I trusted and looked up to.”

Those relationships made a lasting impact, even though they weren’t specifically centered around conversations about identity.

“I got so much out of having adults in my life who were looking out for me,” she said. “That’s something I want to give back through this program.”

For DeStefano, one of the most meaningful parts of mentoring at Rainbow Labs is helping create the kind of safe, affirming space she didn’t always have growing up.

“I didn’t really feel like I found that kind of space until my twenties,” she said.

That’s why programs like Rainbow Labs matter so much.

“When I walked into the first session, I thought, ‘Wow, these kids are amazing.’ They’re all so different, but they have so much in common. And you can tell Rainbow Labs is a place where they feel safe.”

DeStefano says mentorship often comes down to something simple but powerful.

“A lot of the time, it’s just consistency,” she said. “Half of it is just showing up and being there for them and being a steady presence.”

As Rainbow Labs continues to grow, mentors like Melissa DeStefano are helping ensure that queer youth not only feel safe but also empowered to lead, create, and thrive.And maybe one day, pass on their own time, presence, and wisdom.