“This has been a lot of fun,” stated Angel, a fifth grade student at Berry Elementary School in San Diego, “we play a lot of basketball and board games, and we’ve become friends.”

The Bigs in School program involves a partnership between select San Diego elementary schools and Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County, adult mentors provide one-to-one attention in a supervised setting.  Big Brothers Big Sisters is able to reach more at-risk children by eliminating the need for parent referral and focusing on schools in areas of increased need.

Angel’s match in the after school program has been Viridiana Meza,  a 19 year old student in Job Corps’  Auto Mechanics trade, and recently elected Student Government  Association President.  Each week Viridiana and 5 other Job Corps students visit the school after completing their own training day and spend an hour with the younger students.

“We learned about the program about a year and a half ago, and thought it would be a great volunteer opportunity for our students,” stated Michael Campobasso, a Job Corps Recreation Specialist who has coordinated the center’s participation with the Big Brother Big Sisters organization.  “Sometimes our students play sports or games with the young people, help them with their homework, or just talk and be a friend to them.  It’s been rewarding to see the positive relationships that have been formed and I think both groups benefit from the program.”

Carol Steve, Big Brother Big Sister Match Support Specialist for the Bigs in School Program, was appreciative of Job Corps’ involvement.  “What a difference 1 hour a week can make.  Students from Job Corps have selflessly given one hour of their free time every week for a year, to truly change the life of a child.  Each student made a new best friend and showed a child what it was like to have someone there for you that they can count on.  Some of the children have said that they look forward to seeing their Big (as the program calls the volunteers),” she continued, “as their favorite part of their week.  Job Corps students have truly shown their mentees that they can rely on them and that they will have someone to joke and talk about their day with.  Thanks to the willingness of these young volunteers, many children were shown the value of mentorship.”