As some of you may already know- one of my favorite things that I have gotten involved in at NC State is College Mentors for Kids. 

A little bit about it: College Mentors for Kids is a student-led nonprofit organization on campus that connects elementary-aged kids to college students. Once a week (we offer this program three days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday- there is a different set of kids and mentors for each activity day) a group of kids come on a bus from a local elementary school and spend 2 hours at NC State with college students. Each elementary student, ages 1st through 5th grade, is paired with one college student- who then becomes the mentor that they build a relationship with throughout the year. We do group activities around campus (Zumba, club basketball, guest speakers, animals, etc.) to expose the kids to the opportunities that are available at universities and give them spaces to explore their interests. 

I had the opportunity to be a mentor for a little buddy last year and I loved getting to watch him grow individually and see our connection grow throughout the year. He asked me questions and looked for my support as he tried new activities and grew in confidence. 

This year, I have the privilege of being the Vice President of Engagement for this organization. I get to recruit mentors and make sure they feel equipped, supported, valued, and appreciated. I also help the connections between the little buddies and mentors grow.

I can't do all of this without your help, though. Since this is a nonprofit organization, we fundraise. We do not ask any of the kids participating in the program to pay for anything, mainly so we don't exclude any kids from participating. So instead, we raise money so that our little buddies can enjoy their time and get everything they need! Please consider donating to help me meet my fundraising goal! Your contribution will allow us to continue this program on our campus so that we can make an even greater impact on these kids who need it.