From Big Brothers Big Sisters
Guest Blogger
Seven-year-old ‘Little Sister’ and her ‘Big Sister’ Serena have been matched in the Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based program for just over a year. When Little Sister was first referred to the program, the school thought she had a learning disability and thought there might possibly be a language barrier. However, they weren’t quite sure because she wouldn’t talk. When she did talk, she would answer with very short answers and never look people in the eye. Little Sister struggled in school and the school was at a loss for how to help her.
Little Sister was matched with a Spanish/English speaking Big Sister who was a junior in high school. They worked on homework together, blew bubbles and played many, many games of UNO. After just two months, people started noticing changes in Little Sister. She started talking. She would look people in the eye. Her grades started to improve. Those at the school learned that she actually had very good English skills. One day, her teacher approached the after school coordinator and asked, “What happened to this child? Why have these changes happened so suddenly?” The after school coordinator replied, “She got a Big Sister.”
One year later, Little Sister is doing great. She is at level academically, has made a lot of friends, and is more confident than ever. While such a drastic change is not seen in every child matched with a mentor, the one-to-one relationship is exactly what Little Sister needed to really thrive.
***Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah is working with United Way of Salt Lake as a Strategy partner. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah works in Clearfield and Park City to help kids reach their potential through mentoring relationships in schools and the community.***
