More Than Scholarships in Ed Services

Hey folks. My name is Cayla and I coordinate the Educational Services program for BBBS.

Ed Services is probably most famous for our Promise Scholarship Program. Over twenty years ago, an endowment was created to award $2,000 scholarships to youth matched with a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters. Here’s how it works: once a child is matched with a mentor for at least a year and he or she reaches 7th grade, we promise to award them a $2,000 once they graduate high school. The scholarship can be used at any accredited college, university or trade school. Cool, huh?

What many people don’t know, however, is that Ed Services does so much more than hand out free money. We provide the support services needed to help those 7th graders get through middle school and high school and into college. Some of those services include: tutoring, school supplies, finding scholarships for summer camps, financial aid workshops, SAT workshops, college campus tours, and so much more. We also counsel students individually to help them overcome their particular challenges in order to reach their goals.

As you may be able to tell, I am passionate about promoting the benefits of education. For example, did you know that a high school graduate can earn $1 million more in his lifetime that someone who did not graduate? And a college graduate can earn $2.5 million more than someone who did not graduate college. That is a lot of money!!

If you are interested in any of the programs I have mentioned here, or would like more information on how you can help the Educational Services program, please contact me at Cayla@bbbscentraltx.org.

Cayla
Ed Services guru, cheerleader, and proud Big Sister

New Big Brother Gets Perfect Match!

I am writing to say thank you for matching me up with a great kid! I recently moved to Austin from San Francisco and I had worked with middle school students there from a “STAR” school in the Mission District. Don’t be fooled by the acronym, a STAR school means the kids and the school itself have challenges on several fronts. I found that tutoring these kids was so rewarding and I was looking for an opportunity to do work with kids again here in Austin. The interview process was good and found a great match for me. I met with my Little Brother at Hart Elementary just 3 weeks ago and we both already look forward to our weekly meetings. He is a very smart boy whose teacher has told me that he is already going to be tested for GT (gifted/talented) classes. I carefully slip him hints as we play games about how important it is to study, do his homework and be patient with his work. He takes it all in stride and he’s beaten me in Jenga twice already. I should cut down on the coffee I guess. I also rediscovered the joy of construction paper art. We talked about everything from his pet birds to trading cards as we made a Jet-Powered, jacked-up pickup truck rocket across a lake to the starry sky.

Taking this hour out of my work week really gives me a chance to slow down and keep other things in perspective. It is great for me (and my Little Brother I hope) to take time out to just talk and hang out together. Thanks again! -- Bob McGivney

Holiday Volunteering Is In the Air

Austin area Sister to Sister matches have been very generous with their time over the past few months! On November 19, a team of Sister to Sister matches (Little Sisters ages 11-17 and their Big Sisters) gave their time to help stock the food pantry at Caritas of Austin, a local refugee resettlement organization committed to fighting hunger and homelessness in our community. Dressed in colorful BBBS t-shirts, matches canvassed the streets of the Cherrywood neighborhood in Northeast Austin to collect non-perishable food items to be donated to the Caritas food pantry. The event was a wonderful opportunity to teach Little Sisters about the importance of volunteering their time to help others and a good way to encourage their communication skills. At the end of the day, Sister to Sister matches collected more than 500 pounds of food!

Sister to Sister matches met again only a few weeks later on December 7 to help wrap Christmas gifts for the children living at SafePlace Austin. SafePlace is a not for profit organization that exists to end rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence and offers services such as community education and an emergency shelter. Matches learned about the organization while wrapping gifts and enjoying good company and hot cocoa.

Many thanks to those matches who participated! I look forward to our next event... -- Emma

Bigs Blog Too!

Thanks, BBBS, for hosting the pumpkin carving event! It was a lot of fun. Punam and I ended up with a jack-o-lantern that we really loved. We were inspired by a template with an eye, a winking eyelash, girly lips and a nose. Then, Punam added the extra touch of freckles and stars around one of the eyes. It was so cute! Punam wanted to take it home to show her mom, so we did. I wish I had brought a camera to take a picture of it.

After the event, Punam and I went home to visit with Mom and her little brother Dylan. We hung out for about half an hour or more. It was nice to catch up with everyone.

Thanks for these magical moments!
-Big Sister Yia

More Pumpkin Talk

Last year, my Little Brother, Xavier, and I attended the Pumpkin Carving contest hosted by my agency and had a great time, but the staff here really stepped it up this year. Instead, it evolved into our Fall Harvest which I will definitely support for the years to come. It was great to arrive at the agency and see all the folks who turned out to be part of this special occasion.
We had several people who volunteer as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Board Members, existing donors, and folks from the community who aren’t involved with our mission but were able to get a glimpse of the special things we do here at BBBS.

The agency was well decorated in Halloween décor and our great friends at Blue Bell Ice Cream provided delicious frozen snacks for everyone who chose to indulge in (I think the adults enjoyed it just as much as the children here did). The best thing that happened that day was that Xavier and his mom, Felicia, surprised me by stopping by. Why was this a surprise? Simply because I thought he wasn't going to be able to make it.

After all the festivities were over, we went back to my home and he played a new video game on my computer, and we later went out for dinner. It was great for us to connect because it had been close to a month since we last got together. Even with that gap of time, it was like no time was lost and we got right back on the same page with one another. He is doing great at his new school, Kealing Middle, and feels challenged by the work, but knows he can handle it. Xavier now has a new puppy, Minnie, and we are going to plan activities where she can come along.

I write this for all to see, but with the hope that men read this and know that volunteering your time in this way doesn’t require a lot. The year and few months that Xavier and I have been matched has gone by really fast. He has his own life and I have mine but, it’s a great feeling to know that we are there for each another even when a few weeks go by that we don’t see each other. Because my scheduled has changed some, I can carve out some time for us to get together at Kealing, which is one of the schools that we serve. Maybe I will see some of you there!

Hope you enjoyed and talk to you next time.
Kenny Taylor, Executive Director, BBBS