You don’t have to be part of Greek life to have a Little

Within the past month, I’m sure everyone has heard at least one girl who rushed a sorority at the beginning of Spring semester squeal about all the gifts their Big got them during their Big Little week (trust me, I know, I live with a Little).

Even if Greek life isn’t where you imagine seeing yourself during your time at Temple, being a Big doesn’t necessarily mean representing a sorority or a fraternity.

Big Brother Big Sister club members getting ready to visit their Littles and give them their Valentines! (Photo Credit: Isabel Sefton)

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization at Temple is a club anyone can get involved with. It’s a one-on-one mentoring group which matches a student here at Temple with a student from a neighboring elementary school. Every student is different, no matter what age, so the club interviews Temple students to match them with a Little who is similar!

A few of my friends are members of this club and they’ve felt nothing but joy since joining.

My roommate Isabel Sefton, who is a freshman and a Strategic Communications major with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Spanish, is fortunately the secretary for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization, so I thought it would be smart to ask her about her experience first. I’ve heard many stories over the past few months about how adorable her Little can be, so hearing why she joined this organization really touched my heart.

“I had a mentor when I was younger and she shaped me into who I am,” Isabel said, reminiscing on her past. “I don’t think I would be the same person without her and I wanted to be that figure in someone else’s life.”

She said the best moment so far was when she went to her Little’s classroom to get her so they could spend an hour together, like they do once a week, and she ran up and hugged her unexpectedly. “It’s nice to know this is a positive experience for her and that she enjoys our time together,” Isabel told me with a grin, before saying: “I love my Little!”

I interviewed a dorm neighbor from down the hall who had a similar story to tell which she was very excited to share. Kaitlyn Nevin, a freshman who is a Tourism and Hospitality Management major, came from a very support and loving family. “It always hurt me to think about the kids who come from not-so-great homes and don’t have the same opportunities as me,” she said, relating her childhood experiences to those who weren’t as fortunate. “I’ve always wanted to adopt kids so Big Brothers Big Sisters is like a baby step towards that.” She was inspirational with her words as she continued and said, “It’s important to me because I can make a positive impact in my Little’s life and be someone she can come to for advice or look up to!”

“My favorite memory so far is dancing with her. She wants to be a professional dancer. She’s trying to teach me the routine to the Do It Like Me Challenge. I love watching her dance!”

Kaitlyn Nevin, left, and Isabel Sefton, right, wearing their Big Brothers Big Sisters shirts

The last person I interviewed was my other roommate Shannon Vo, a freshman who is an Advertising major. She and Isabel decided to join at the same time, but Shannon received her Little first, directly after the interviewing process. When asked why she’s part of Big Brothers Big Sisters, she said, “I grew up with an older brother and I always wanted a little sister. When I was younger I asked my mom if she could have another kid so I could have a little sister and she told me I was enough of a handful and there was no need for another child in the house.” She paused to laugh before finishing with, “My brother was a role model to me and I just wanted to be that role model for someone else.”

“This one time, we were playing Headbands, and my Little said ‘I don’t like any of these cards!’, so she went and made her own. She made a card for me and it said ‘Poop’ and I could not figure out what my card was and she just kept laughing at me,” Shannon said. “We were laughing for days.”

Although these are only three opinions out of the thousands here at Temple, simply speaking to them about how Big Brothers Big Sisters have impacted their lives and made them feel has really opened my eyes towards what a simple organization can do for people, no matter how Big and Little they may be.