One of the best ways to truly understand the impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is to have gone through the experience yourself! That’s just one of the strengths our new Site-Based Mentoring Coordinator Kara-Lynn MacDonald brings to her work here. Kara grew up in Colchester County, going through school in North River, Onslow, and completing high school at Cobequid Educational Centre (CEC) in the town of Truro. As many students do, Kara experienced anxiety and reached out for support from her guidance counselor at Central Colchester Junior High (CCJH). Ultimately, she was recommended to be matched in the Peer Mentoring Program at CEC for grade 9 to ease the transition to a much bigger and more populated school. Kara was in the French program growing up, which normally means sticking with the same group of students until high school. Kara’s mentor made her feel more comfortable and they connected over their shared love of sports. Mostly, they hung out in the Schools Plus room together and had quiet lunches. Their match was so successful that they still stay in touch to this day!
In August of 2022, Kara and her fiancé Mike decided to apply together and become a Big Couple. They were matched with their Little, Aiden, who they have so much fun with! According to Kara, being a mentor in the Community-Based Program feels a lot different than being a Mentee in the Peer Mentoring Program. They normally pick Aiden up after supper and try a whole variety of activities like swimming at the RECC, getting dessert, playing outside, dressing up for Halloween, and going to Bearcats games. They always have a soccer ball on hand, too. The couple has watched Aiden become a lot more comfortable with peers, and especially new people, over time. Kara finds it very rewarding to watch Aiden become more socially comfortable, which is what her Mentor helped with back in high school. Aiden has lovely parents who support his match with Kara and Mike, which is a big piece of a successful match!
Now, Kara is working with BBBS Colchester where she was matched as a Peer Mentee and then a Big Couple. Talk about dedication! Kara’s role is supported by the Joyce Family Foundation. It was created to reach schools that are either rural, or simply far away from our main office in North River. She is hard at work building relationships with school staff to get In-School Mentoring matches started, where an adult volunteers with a child at their school for one hour a week. Peer Mentoring is on the table, too! So far, Kara has been to Tatamagouche, all the way through East Hants to Mount Uniacke, and many places in between. BBBS Colchester and the new areas we are reaching are truly lucky to have such a seasoned staff member leading this work. Under the leadership of Program Manager Sallie, and with Kara’s lived experience, BBBS will ultimately be able to serve more children and families. Partnering with new schools is such an important part of this process because we simply cannot do the site-based work without the support and cooperation of teachers. We can’t wait to see how things come together in the areas we are now able to reach, and have utmost faith in Kara, who is also completing her Masters in Counselling Psychology by the way.
So how can you help? Inquire about volunteering through our website: www.colchester.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca to connect with our friendly mentoring coordinators. Play our weekly 50/50 Big Bucks where you could win thousands of dollars, while also helping fund the services we provide hundreds of youth. This is a community effort that starts with all of us, and we appreciate you!
