I’ve worn a couple different hats since my time at BBBSND.
First, I was our Public Relations co-op student back in 2010, now a staff
member as the Special Events Coordinator since 2013, an In-School Mentor back
in 2013-2014 and a Go Girls Mentor for 2 different sessions in 2014 and 2015.
Today, I’d like to talk about my wonderful experiences as a mentor for the
Go-Girls Program.
In the fall of 2014, I ran a Go Girls group-Mentoring
Program at Greenbank Public School. Since this program is only 7, 1-hour long
sessions, I knew that it wasn’t a huge time commitment, but that the impact
could be huge. I loved this program so much because I got to talk to the girls
about really important things like healthy eating, staying active, bullying,
self-confidence, but also about really relevant issues that are going on today,
like the power of what you post on social media, eating disorders, mental
health, etc. I don't act like I'm an expert on any of these topics, but I simply share what I know, share any personal experiences (the girls love that) and tell true stories (the girls also love that).
I feel so passionate
about interacting with today’s youth because I get to listen what they think
and then pass along my ‘wisdom’ and advice. In the spring of 2015, I mentored a
group of girls who were in grade 8, getting ready for graduation, which was a
perfect time to segway into talking about all things ‘high school’. Although
I’m 10 years older than the girls, it still feels like yesterday I was in their
shoes, doing things like dieting even though I didn’t need to, worrying about
what people thought of me, and was boy-crazy!
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| One of Krista's Go Girls wrote this about her. |
I love having my voice heard by these impressionable young
girls who have their whole lives ahead of them. I know what I’m telling them is
important and that if they really listen to what I’m saying, it could make a
huge difference for them. If there is one thing that I say over and over again,
in a thousand different ways over the 7 weeks, it’s to be themselves, exactly
as they are! I was always telling the girls that in high school, I spent the
first 3 years trying to fit in to the popular crowd (which I never did fit in
with), and I’ve always regretted it. I was always trying to do what was “cool”
and not necessarily what I wanted to do (which was probably staying home
watching movies).
When I was in grade
12, I finally realized that I didn’t care what the popular kids thought of me,
because I realized that people liked my crazy, weird, different self, something
that I had tried to hide for so long. I was able to be loud, sang off-key
often, dance around in the halls and wore whatever I felt like. Grade 12 was
the best year of my high school career because I made friends based on who I
truly was. I tell that story to my girls to hopefully set them free to be
whoever they want to be, and not to be scared or intimidated in high school.
This year, I plan on running another Go Girls Program with
the hopes of telling those girls the exact same thing. I want to empower these
young women, and this program makes it so easy to do that. I show up every
week, for 1 hour, read what I’m given, and talk openly with the girls about what’s
really important right now. I can’t wait to meet the next group of my Go Girls!
If you're interested in learning more information about our
mentoring programs, please call Cheryl Holmes at 905-985-3733 ext 2.
