Every week, around 40 elementary students wait anxiously for their hour with a Doane College student.
The smiles of these children fuel those who are part of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters, a volunteer program that caters to children ages 6-18.
Senior Meghan Kissel, a four-year member of the program, said the rewards were clear.
“I love it; I’ve been matched with the same Little (younger student) since freshman year,” Kissel said. “Watching her grow up and her personality come through has been awesome for me and we’ve got a good relationship.”
The Doane College students typically mentor at St. James Elementary, a private Catholic school in Crete, said Donna Small, case manager for the Saline County Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
For only four hours a month, volunteers, called “Bigs," meet with their "Littles" at school and talk to them or help them with their homework, according to the Heartland BBBS Web site.
In some cases, the pairings work out well for both parties.
“We have one Big here who is a math major and she’s helping her Little, who is having problems with math, and his scores have been going up,” Small said. “That was a really good match.”
Most Doane College students start volunteering for Big Brothers/Big Sisters when they are first-years, though they can start in any school year.
They go through an interviewing process where they are matched with a younger student.
“We ask the volunteers what they like, what type of student they would like to mentor and then the teachers of the Littles provide information and we match them that way,” Small said.
The contracts that the Doane students sign last for one year; after that, they have to sign up each year.
“Our numbers are about the same from last year, though we are disappointed that more of last year’s freshman didn’t sign on again,” Small said. “We try to keep the same people together because it helps the bond grow stronger.”
Kissel and her Little are a perfect example of this bond.
"I recommend it for some people, especially for someone who has a sister or brother at home, or even someone who has never had a brother or sister,” Kissel said. “You watch them grow while you’re matched with them. I can see my influence on her every time I see her.”
Small said that she had noticed that most of the Doane College students that participate are female elementary education majors.
“We have a few other people from different majors, but I think that the majority are elementary education because of the profession that they’re going into,” she said. “We would like to see more males in the group though so the male Littles can talk to an older person of their gender.”
Every child deserves to have someone to look up to, and Big Brothers Big Sisters has helped around 40 Doane students find the perfect match.
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