In-School Mentoring

I began volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters as an in school mentor last January. I initially began the program for purely selfish reasons. I knew that volunteering was a necessity on an education resume and I wanted to boost the chances of finding a job when I graduate this April.

Instead, spending one hour a week with my mentee has become an integral factor in my life. The relationship that can be built between mentor and mentee in just one hour a week is phenonmenal! I wouldn't have believed it if I'm not experiencing myself! After two months off during the summer, I was concerned she may have forgotten who I was or that our relationship might regress because of the lack of contact. Nope! She came tearing out of class on our first day back together and hugged me so hard she almost knocked me over! She had also rememebered I was going to Australia during my summer and asked me how it was. Pretty impressive for a nine year old!

My student was in grade three when I started with her last year and had arrived from Pakistan in December 2006. She could already speak english from school in her native country, but her teacher felt she could benefit from the mentoring program. Apparently she has already improved in her language skills and her self confidence in relating to others has also risen. We play games, read, play outside or in the gym, and draw/paint pictures. Today we are going to add baking cookies to our resume of achievements.

I would recommend this program to anyone who along with needing volunteer experience, wants to make a difference in a young person's life. The positive influence we can have on our youth through small actions is astounding and totally worth our effort!