Pitt Meadows secondary student Mackenzie Rope is looking forward to the start of the school year, in more ways than one.
Not only is he about to enter Grade 12, but he will also begin giving back to the same organization that helped him out six years ago.
Rope was 11 years old when he was matched with a Big Brother through Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Fraser Valley and that friendship lasted over two years. Now, he feels it is his time to give back to another child what was given to him.
“The influence my Big Brother had on me was always positive and there wasn’t a moment I didn’t enjoy myself,” Rope said. “I would love if I could give that back to a ‘Little.’”
Mackenzie has signed on as a teen mentor and will be matched with an elementary student at a nearby school and who he will visit once a week for the duration of the school year.
Mentoring coordinator Cassie Silva is looking forward to resuming last year’s in-school mentoring matches, as well as introducing new mentors like Rope to a new bunch of lucky ‘Little Buddies.’
“We have existing partnerships with Pitt Meadows secondary and Garibaldi secondary, where the school helps us recruit suitable teen mentors, and we are hoping to expand to the rest of the high schools in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows this school year,” she said.
Many teens choose to volunteer to satisfy volunteer hour requirements and for invaluable life experience that also looks great on a resume and scholarship applications.
Rope, however, already has enough volunteer hours.
“I just want to give back,” Rope said.
• For more information on volunteer opportunities for teens and adults with BBBSFV, visit www.mentoringworks.ca, call 604-820-3337 or email cassie.silva@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca.