Member since August 2025
Dena Petty originally founded Mentors Care in 2009, as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Everything about the program and what she hopes to accomplish is based on what Dena wished she had as a kid growing up in a very dysfunctional environment. Dena is passionate about helping young people in similar situations to realize their potential by giving them the necessary tools to do so.
Dena is best described as a cheerleader. She encourages young people to believe in themselves, to understand that each of us exists to live out our own potential and to find our own path in this world. Dena has been married to Todd Petty for 38 years. Her son, Bryce Petty, wife Jordan, and 3 children is a former quarterback for Baylor University in Texas and then the NFL’s New York Jets & Miami Dolphins. Her daughter, Lexie Petty, is an outstanding athlete in her own right as well as a graduate from the University of Texas at Tyler nursing school graduate and is now a critical care nurse in SanDiego, California.
Dena attended Louisiana Tech University studying fine art and interior design where she was on the ladies golf team and played on the Future’s Professional Golf Tour for two years. She was the youth pastor of Cabot United Methodist Church from 1999 – 2005 before she created and implemented Mentors Care.
To follow Dena’s journey and a sneak peek of her debut book, visit www.denapetty.com
Dena Petty is an accomplished speaker and a keynote speaker specializing in nonprofit leadership and mentorship. As the Founder and Executive Director of Mentors Care, she dedicates her efforts to transforming the lives of struggling high school students through innovative mentoring programs. With a passion for building bridges between students, schools, and communities, Dena has emerged as a dynamic leader and advocate for positive change in her community.
Everything in this program and what is hoped to accomplish is based on what Petty wished she had as a kid growing up in a very dysfunctional environment. The goal of Mentors Care is to give students what they need, not only to graduate but to live their lives to their fullest potential.
Petty has worked and created this program from the ground up, learning hard lessons along the way. Now, seeing the traction and the impact of Mentors Care growing and becoming an unstoppable force in the lives of so many students AND the volunteers who mentor them!
Dena is driven by a profound belief in the potential of every young person. She cares deeply about her work because she knows that mentorship can change the trajectory of a student's life. Her dedication to equipping mentors and addressing the unique needs of struggling teens fuels her mission to create lasting impact and foster positive growth in individuals and communities.
Allison
I first came to know about Allison through the counseling department at the high school. I was told that Allison’s mom had a stroke and was living in a nursing home, lost their home and Allison was living with a boyfriend. The counselor also told me that Allison was diagnosed with “stressed induced seizers”. I thought, wow.... this is tragic!
I called Allison in to my office to meet her and introduce myself. Allison was a stunning young woman, but I remember how sad she was and how quick the tears came. Thinking back upon my time with Allison, there were a million tears shed in my office. She started telling me her story, but of course the story is always so much more than first revealed. But, with the initial meeting I remember writing down, “ will be homeless if boyfriend kicks her out “. Well, it wasn’t long before getting the phone call. The boyfriend had hit her and kicked her out. I told her to pack her things and she could come stay at my house for a while. Allison was barely 17, no car, no drivers license an no job!
After our initial meeting, I had talked to a friend at church about a young girl in my program and how she is going to eventually need a place to stay. My friend said that her and her husband were interested and would love to meet her. So after coming to my home and many hours of talking, she realized the options were not there and she needed to meet the family. She was frightened, but said yes to my friend and moved in.
Allison was a wounded soul and she made it hard to like her. She was very sensitive and angry; quick to yell and throw things. She made it hard for everyone around her; the mentor, me but especially the family that took her in. But, after learning more and more about her life, you start to understand why she was so angry and so hard to love.
Allison had a father that was an alcoholic and left her mom when she was a young teen, around 13. So it was just her, her mom and her younger sister. Mom started behaving in a weird way, staying in her room for hours or staying out for hours not knowing when she was going to be home. More and more Allison had to be mom for everyone. Allison had to take mom’s money and pay the late bills and fines or keep mom from spending all they had on things they didn’t need to keep the electricity on. But, many mornings her and her sister would wake up in the dark or without water and get ready for school. Then finally the eviction notice came. They lost the home! This is when Allison started having seizures.
After seeing many doctors and ruling out many ailments, it was determined that it was stressed induced. Allison’s eyes would roll up in her head and she would convulse when too many decisions or worries would confront her. But the amazing thing is, she never missed school.
One day, she came home from school and starting looking for her mom. When she got to her mom’s room she found her lying face down in her closet not moving. She was rushed to the hospital and had to have part of her brain removed, forever blind and unable to take care of the girls, or herself. She was then sent to a nursing home. It was determined the mom had a massive stroke due to meth!
This was very painful for Allison to learn about her mom. She loved her mom and she would tell you she was the greatest mom on earth. Finding out that your mom is a drug addict and that she will never be the same is too much for anyone.
After getting to know Allison a little bit better, she would show me pictures of her mother in the nursing home. You could tell Allison was looking for my reaction to the pictures but of course I never let on that her mom was any different than any other mom. I offered, many times, to take her to see her mom in the nursing home, but she always had an excuse.
Then a call came from the nursing home that her mom was very sick and was sent to the hospital. I kept asking her if she had gone to see her mom and she would say no. I finally insisted that she go and that I would take her. We arrived and entered her room. Allison’s tears immediately began to fall. It was hard to see! A young woman, that was obviously beautiful at one time, with half of her head, emaciated, blind and barely lucid to the life around her. But she did know that Allison was there and called for her. They told each other they loved one another many times. Mom repeated herself many times but Allison would always answer her with patience. Allison started getting agitated seeing that her mom was not being taken care of the way that she wanted. She found food left in her mouth from her last meal. I was amazed to watch this young 17 year old girl cleaning out her mothers mouth without a thought about it. We all prayed together and left after mom fell asleep.
I brought Allison back to the hospital about every other day. Each day, mom seemed a little worse. I was amazed at the fact each time we came to see her, no one else visited. How sad it was that there was no one in her life that cared about her but Allison and the younger sister. With Allison being so young, I realized that the doctors were not telling her what was going on with her mother. So I called the head nurse over and asked him what was going on. After explaining who I was and that I was acting as an advocate for Allison, he agreed to fill me in. He said some tough decisions were going to have to be made. Her mother was not going to get better and would have to decide on a feeding tube or do nothing and let nature take its course. Mom was not going to get better with the feeding tube, but would just prolong the suffering.
Wow, I had to tell Allison. We walked out to my car and she asked me what the nurse was talking about. I told her that I had something to tell her and that it wasn’t going to be easy. When I told her, she collapsed in my arms crying uncontrollable.
After a few days she spoke with the doctor and decided to call hospice. What a horrible thing to have to make a decision like that about your own mother. This would be awful for a grown woman but unfathomable for a teenager!
The hospital moved her to a nursing home and had hospice on sight. I brought her back and forth to the nursing home. Some of those days I would pick up her sister as well. The only other visitors was her mentor, the family she was living with and my pastor.
Allison continued going to school everyday and seeing her mother in the evenings. She was amazing with her mother, talking to her, feeding her and cleaning her up. Mom slowly began to quit talking to her and only screamed for Allison to help her. She would say, “Allison, help me, help me, I’m hurting!”. This infuriated me!! This is too much for Allison to endure. Her mom didn’t know what she was doing, but this would be incredible guilt for her that would stay the rest of her life. So I went to the hospice director and begged her to give her more morphine. She said she couldn’t due to it possibly being lethal. They finally agreed that she was close to death and that it was the right thing to do. But, due to her drug use, the increased morphine did not progress her death nor give her more relief. We just had to comfort Allison as she tried to comfort her mom.
After several days, I received a call at school from hospice telling me it was time and that I needed to get Allison up there as quickly as possible. She was amazingly calm. We were there for only 20 minutes when her mother passed. I looked around the room and thought how sad. This woman just left this world with only her daughter at her side.
She probably was a good wife, mother, daughter, friend at one time. But drugs came into her life and robbed her in every way a life could be robbed. She lived in a nice home in nice suburb surrounded by hard working Christian people in her community that had no idea what was going on.
Allison amazingly graduated. She continued to struggle throughout the summer until I convinced her to re-establish a relationship with her father. During the process of visiting her mother and the funeral, I saw a father that was flawed but sincerely loved his daughter and wanted a relationship with her. We all tried to find her a job, a place to live, a car using her social security benefits. But she resisted so greatly, she was so wounded. One day I brought her to her father and had a great conversation with the 3 of us. Allison finally started to let the walls down and agreed to let her father help her. He quickly got involved and got her life started.
She only came back once to say hello. She looked good and said she was happy. She had a job, an apartment and a car with plans of enrolling in a community college. She cried a few more tears, said thank you and left my office.
One of Dena's most memorable speaking experiences was during a community event where she shared the stage with former students who had overcome significant obstacles. Listening to their stories of resilience and triumph, she felt an overwhelming sense of pride and fulfillment. This moment underscored the ripple effect of mentorship and the profound impact it can have on both mentees and mentors alike.
Dena's journey was a path from darkness to light, from trauma to healing, and from abandonment to purpose.
Her life from a difficult childhood shaped by fractured family dynamics and a cult religion, to finding love, discovering authentic faith, and ultimately founding Mentors Care—a program that helps students face challenges similar to her own.
In 2009, Dena was approached to start a mentoring program at a high school she was volunteering at. She quickly wrote up a program, 4 years curriculum and then launched a movement. The program started in a broom closet in a library and is now serving 22 high schools across North & West Texas, serving over 1000 students with over 850 mentors.
Through Mentors Care, Dena shows how lived experiences can become lifelines, especially for vulnerable youth who need someone to believe in them.
Dena's journey began with a deep-seated desire to support young people facing adversity. Inspired by her own experiences and the challenges she witnessed in her community, she founded Mentors Care. This nonprofit organization was born out of a commitment to provide guidance and encouragement to high school students, ultimately leading to their success and empowerment.
Allison
I first came to know about Allison through the counseling department at the high school. I was told that Allison’s mom had a stroke and was living in a nursing home, lost their home and Allison was living with a boyfriend. The counselor also told me that Allison was diagnosed with “stressed induced seizers”. I thought, wow.... this is tragic!
I called Allison in to my office to meet her and introduce myself. Allison was a stunning young woman, but I remember how sad she was and how quick the tears came. Thinking back upon my time with Allison, there were a million tears shed in my office. She started telling me her story, but of course the story is always so much more than first revealed. But, with the initial meeting I remember writing down, “ will be homeless if boyfriend kicks her out “. Well, it wasn’t long before getting the phone call. The boyfriend had hit her and kicked her out. I told her to pack her things and she could come stay at my house for a while. Allison was barely 17, no car, no drivers license an no job!
After our initial meeting, I had talked to a friend at church about a young girl in my program and how she is going to eventually need a place to stay. My friend said that her and her husband were interested and would love to meet her. So after coming to my home and many hours of talking, she realized the options were not there and she needed to meet the family. She was frightened, but said yes to my friend and moved in.
Allison was a wounded soul and she made it hard to like her. She was very sensitive and angry; quick to yell and throw things. She made it hard for everyone around her; the mentor, me but especially the family that took her in. But, after learning more and more about her life, you start to understand why she was so angry and so hard to love.
Allison had a father that was an alcoholic and left her mom when she was a young teen, around 13. So it was just her, her mom and her younger sister. Mom started behaving in a weird way, staying in her room for hours or staying out for hours not knowing when she was going to be home. More and more Allison had to be mom for everyone. Allison had to take mom’s money and pay the late bills and fines or keep mom from spending all they had on things they didn’t need to keep the electricity on. But, many mornings her and her sister would wake up in the dark or without water and get ready for school. Then finally the eviction notice came. They lost the home! This is when Allison started having seizures.
After seeing many doctors and ruling out many ailments, it was determined that it was stressed induced. Allison’s eyes would roll up in her head and she would convulse when too many decisions or worries would confront her. But the amazing thing is, she never missed school.
One day, she came home from school and starting looking for her mom. When she got to her mom’s room she found her lying face down in her closet not moving. She was rushed to the hospital and had to have part of her brain removed, forever blind and unable to take care of the girls, or herself. She was then sent to a nursing home. It was determined the mom had a massive stroke due to meth!
This was very painful for Allison to learn about her mom. She loved her mom and she would tell you she was the greatest mom on earth. Finding out that your mom is a drug addict and that she will never be the same is too much for anyone.
After getting to know Allison a little bit better, she would show me pictures of her mother in the nursing home. You could tell Allison was looking for my reaction to the pictures but of course I never let on that her mom was any different than any other mom. I offered, many times, to take her to see her mom in the nursing home, but she always had an excuse.
Then a call came from the nursing home that her mom was very sick and was sent to the hospital. I kept asking her if she had gone to see her mom and she would say no. I finally insisted that she go and that I would take her. We arrived and entered her room. Allison’s tears immediately began to fall. It was hard to see! A young woman, that was obviously beautiful at one time, with half of her head, emaciated, blind and barely lucid to the life around her. But she did know that Allison was there and called for her. They told each other they loved one another many times. Mom repeated herself many times but Allison would always answer her with patience. Allison started getting agitated seeing that her mom was not being taken care of the way that she wanted. She found food left in her mouth from her last meal. I was amazed to watch this young 17 year old girl cleaning out her mothers mouth without a thought about it. We all prayed together and left after mom fell asleep.
I brought Allison back to the hospital about every other day. Each day, mom seemed a little worse. I was amazed at the fact each time we came to see her, no one else visited. How sad it was that there was no one in her life that cared about her but Allison and the younger sister. With Allison being so young, I realized that the doctors were not telling her what was going on with her mother. So I called the head nurse over and asked him what was going on. After explaining who I was and that I was acting as an advocate for Allison, he agreed to fill me in. He said some tough decisions were going to have to be made. Her mother was not going to get better and would have to decide on a feeding tube or do nothing and let nature take its course. Mom was not going to get better with the feeding tube, but would just prolong the suffering.
Wow, I had to tell Allison. We walked out to my car and she asked me what the nurse was talking about. I told her that I had something to tell her and that it wasn’t going to be easy. When I told her, she collapsed in my arms crying uncontrollable.
After a few days she spoke with the doctor and decided to call hospice. What a horrible thing to have to make a decision like that about your own mother. This would be awful for a grown woman but unfathomable for a teenager!
The hospital moved her to a nursing home and had hospice on sight. I brought her back and forth to the nursing home. Some of those days I would pick up her sister as well. The only other visitors was her mentor, the family she was living with and my pastor.
Allison continued going to school everyday and seeing her mother in the evenings. She was amazing with her mother, talking to her, feeding her and cleaning her up. Mom slowly began to quit talking to her and only screamed for Allison to help her. She would say, “Allison, help me, help me, I’m hurting!”. This infuriated me!! This is too much for Allison to endure. Her mom didn’t know what she was doing, but this would be incredible guilt for her that would stay the rest of her life. So I went to the hospice director and begged her to give her more morphine. She said she couldn’t due to it possibly being lethal. They finally agreed that she was close to death and that it was the right thing to do. But, due to her drug use, the increased morphine did not progress her death nor give her more relief. We just had to comfort Allison as she tried to comfort her mom.
After several days, I received a call at school from hospice telling me it was time and that I needed to get Allison up there as quickly as possible. She was amazingly calm. We were there for only 20 minutes when her mother passed. I looked around the room and thought how sad. This woman just left this world with only her daughter at her side.
She probably was a good wife, mother, daughter, friend at one time. But drugs came into her life and robbed her in every way a life could be robbed. She lived in a nice home in nice suburb surrounded by hard working Christian people in her community that had no idea what was going on.
Allison amazingly graduated. She continued to struggle throughout the summer until I convinced her to re-establish a relationship with her father. During the process of visiting her mother and the funeral, I saw a father that was flawed but sincerely loved his daughter and wanted a relationship with her. We all tried to find her a job, a place to live, a car using her social security benefits. But she resisted so greatly, she was so wounded. One day I brought her to her father and had a great conversation with the 3 of us. Allison finally started to let the walls down and agreed to let her father help her. He quickly got involved and got her life started.
She only came back once to say hello. She looked good and said she was happy. She had a job, an apartment and a car with plans of enrolling in a community college. She cried a few more tears, said thank you and left my office.
One of Dena's most memorable speaking experiences was during a community event where she shared the stage with former students who had overcome significant obstacles. Listening to their stories of resilience and triumph, she felt an overwhelming sense of pride and fulfillment. This moment underscored the ripple effect of mentorship and the profound impact it can have on both mentees and mentors alike.
Dena's journey was a path from darkness to light, from trauma to healing, and from abandonment to purpose.
Her life from a difficult childhood shaped by fractured family dynamics and a cult religion, to finding love, discovering authentic faith, and ultimately founding Mentors Care—a program that helps students face challenges similar to her own.
In 2009, Dena was approached to start a mentoring program at a high school she was volunteering at. She quickly wrote up a program, 4 years curriculum and then launched a movement. The program started in a broom closet in a library and is now serving 22 high schools across North & West Texas, serving over 1000 students with over 850 mentors.
Through Mentors Care, Dena shows how lived experiences can become lifelines, especially for vulnerable youth who need someone to believe in them.
Dena's journey began with a deep-seated desire to support young people facing adversity. Inspired by her own experiences and the challenges she witnessed in her community, she founded Mentors Care. This nonprofit organization was born out of a commitment to provide guidance and encouragement to high school students, ultimately leading to their success and empowerment.