A year and a half ago, University of Nevada student Alex Watson found Big inspiration through a Little change in her life.
“She’s shown me what it’s like to have perseverance and to appreciate the things I have, ” Watson said.
No, this UNR senior isn’t referring to a teacher or parent, or even the latest celebrity to grace the cover of the gossip magazines. Watson is speaking of her 9-year-old Little Sister, a girl she has been mentoring since the summer of 2008.
Watson, like many other students at UNR, is doing her part to help the community through Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Northern Nevada, an organization that provides volunteer mentors to children in the Reno and Sparks communities.
“I would recommend this program to anybody,” Watson said.
According to Nicole Oshan, a UNR student who works for Big Brothers Big Sisters, students like Watson are an important part of the Northern Nevada chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“College students are the majority of the people who participate in Big Brothers Big Sisters,” Oshan said. “Even more than adults.”
UNR students have even created a Big Brothers Big Sisters campus club that holds an event called “Get BIG” at the university every semester. The purpose of this event is to raise awareness, recruit new mentors, and show appreciation for current mentors. All interested students are offered free lunch, a few games of Bingo, and the opportunity to learn about life as a Big.
The founder and president of the Big Brothers Big Sisters club, Clarissa Mcvicars, said “Get BIG” is an important way of recruiting new mentors for the Northern Nevada area.
“In Northern Nevada there’s a huge need for mentors,” Mcvicars said. “Some kids don’t get matched for like a year.”
For UNR students like Lane Zarubi, who has been a mentor since April of this year, being a Big has been a rewarding experience. After being recommended to the program by a fellow student-mentor, she decided to apply for the program. Zarubi now meets with her Little once a week for about two or three hours.
“We do a bunch of stuff,” she said. “We go bowling and miniature golfing, have picnics and watch movies. Last night we baked cookies.”
Zarubi said the process of becoming a Big was fairly simple. She filled out an application, completed a background check, sent in a few references, and then went for an interview. During the interview, Big Brothers Big Sisters asked questions about her interests and preferences in order to match her with a compatible little.
Students who wish to become Bigs can choose from two mentoring programs: Community Based Mentoring or the Bigs In Schools Volunteer Program.
Zarubi participates in the community based mentoring program. Under this program, a Big meets with his or her Little one-to-one, once a week, for at least an hour. Mentors must be at least 21 years of age.
The Bigs In Schools volunteer program for adults and teens age 15 and older. Under this program, Bigs interact with Littles at their schools, once a week, for about an hour.