Be a Big Brother

I met my Little the other day – he’s in kindergarten and seems to be a good kid. I’m going to meet him for an hour a week at his school and help him out with his letters and reading. I’ve committed to a year and I’ll see how it all pans out. Looking forward it!

I had my interview yesterday and it went well. I’ve been accepted and they plan to place me soon at the grade school just a few blocks from my house, my preferred choice. I’ll be paired with a “Little” and will show up once a week during school hours for one hour. From there, they say it’s up to us to define how we interact. It could be hanging out while they play with the other kids or as structured as teaching the little an instrument or helping with homework.

The interview was more interesting than I thought – plenty of potentially awkward questions they have to get out of the way, but that didn’t bother me. It was the more philosophical ones like “what do you hope for your little to get out of your mentorship?” Or, “why do you want to become a Big Brother?” I had fine answers for both, but they did induce a moment of gulp.

Interesting facts from the acceptance letter, for those considering being a Big:

Our program has a phenomenal success rate. By becoming a Big in our program you will have the opportunity to help a child develop self-esteem and pursue interests that the two of you have in common. With the combination of these elements, you may be the person that makes the difference in your Little’s life that inspires them to pursue their goals… whatever they may be.

In addition, children who are matched with Bigs are proven to make healthier life decisions. For example, the children matched in our program are less likely to skip school, less likely to begin using illegal drugs and alcohol, and have improved relationships with their families. Moreover, we are willing to bet that you will be surprised by how much you gain from the relationship with your Little!

My friend Katy works for Big Brother/Sisters in Juneau, AK. She visited a few weeks back and convinced me that being a “Big” is easy and I should do it. So I filled out the online form and got the call today. I completed an online application, the first phone screen and 5 references are sending in their referrals (all online). Oh, and they’re doing a background and criminal check on me. If that all checks out I go in for a personal interview.

The guy that screened me on the phone was terribly nice and told me I would just stop by the elementary school that’s on my walk to work once a week for an hour to hang out with a “little” during school hours.

I avoided this for a while because, frankly, it seemed like an inconvenience. So far, pretty easy.