Mentor

Last year, I mentored a first grade girl through Boston University Community Service Center's Siblings program, designed to give children the opportunity to get involved with college students, who serve as a positive role models and good friends.

During my academic year as a mentor, my life was completely changed for the better. Every other week, I would do something fun with her. We would go to the dining hall, paint pottery, go bowling, go see a movie, go to the park-- whatever kind of adventure we wanted to get into. Every time I went to go pick her up, there she was waiting anxiously at the door before I even had time to ring the doorbell. Her face would light up and every time her mother would tell me how she just couldn't wait all week until I came to spend time with her. I watched my mentee grow from shy and anxious girl to a chatty, outgoing ball of sunshine. As the weeks went on, she taught me more and more about how to appreciate the little things and life.

Some cool reasons to become a Sibling (more listed on the CSC blog)

1. You will get a new friend who will look forward to hanging out with you-- no matter what.

2. You have an awesome excuse to relive your childhood at the Children's Museum.

3. The joy on your Sib's face when they accomplish something. I took my Sib bowling for her first time and when she got a strike she had this look of pure happiness that I will never forget.

4. A break from homework! It's fun to make bracelets, color and do something fun with your Sib instead of thinking about that big exam or working on that paper.

5. The smiles and the hugs! My sib would get so excited to see me every week. Sometimes, she would even make presents for me or draw pictures of me and give them to me when I came to hang out with her.


This program is only open to Boston University students. However, there are many other programs like siblings outside of BU that you can get involved in within Boston.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay covers 4 regions within MA: Greater Boston, Cape Cod & The Islands, Fall River & Greater Attleboro. Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest and largest mentoring organization in the country, serving young people nationwide—including here in the Massachusetts Bay area.  As a Big, you get to be a kid again for a couple of hours every couple of weeks and in the process change a kid’s perspective on life. All you have to do is be a real friend and involve your "Little" in things you probably do already, like play sports or play video games. To apply, visit here. If the time commitment is too large for you at this time, donating to the cause is always an option. 

Best Buddies is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. There are six different programs within Best Buddies to get involved in-- Best Buddies Citizens, Colleges, e-Buddies®, High Schools, Jobs and Middle Schools – that will positively impact more than 400,000 individuals this year alone. To volunteer, click here or donate to the cause.

Want to learn about more mentoring opportunities within Massachusetts? Check out the Mass Mentoring website,the umbrella organization for more than 165 mentoring programs throughout the state. This website makes it easy to find the right organization for you to find a mentee through.

Are you a mentor? Tell me why you became a mentor and how it changed your life.