As a UVA student I feel like I have been very fortunate in the life that my parents have given me in order to work towards such a high standard of academics and achievement. I know there are many people out there that do not have the same opportunities as I have had and they do not have strong role models in their lives. This is what Juandiego Wade, a member of the Charlottesville School Board, discussed with our class this past Wednesday. In Charlottesville there are many lower income, single parent, minorities. All of these elements can potentially harm the future of a student. He told us that many of the kids he works with do not have any sort of vision for their future because they simply haven’t given it much thought. Some of them have joined gangs or sell drugs to belong to something. These kids need role models and they need ones that they can relate to. I’m not sure how well I, being a Caucasian girl, would be able to reach out to the kids that Wade spoke about but I think that trying is half the battle. A great program to get involved with to mentor some of the students in the area is the Big Sister Big Brother program. Although this is a short-term program I think that it is a good start to giving these kids a role model that will help them focus on school and think about their future.
Link to Big Brothers Big Sisters Program http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5962335/k.BE16/Home.htm
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