From helping little girls achieve their dreams to acting as a role model, Big Sister Boston is seeking Lasell students who are looking to make an impact on young adults in the Boston area.
Professor Denise Kaigler’s Public Relations class is partnering with Big Sister Boston to promote a campaign that aims to get more young women involved in the program by matching them with younger girls in the community looking for role models.
Senior Sophia Franzik, a public relations major, is one of the students trying to spread awareness of the program.
The campaign is seeking more Big Sisters and has been reaching out to universities as well as various newspapers and radio stations to gain the attention of women looking to get involved.
Big Sister Boston will be hosting a fashion show called Project Role Model on May 12 at 6 p.m. at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. The event will highlight different Big and Little Sisters as well as other Boston role models and designers.
Franzik said the program serves as a positive for the community and young women in the area. “They really are all about girls, and they really want to give everyone a chance to figure out what they’re passionate about,” Franzik said.
Franzik thinks “everyone should be able to know what it’s like to have a big sister and have someone be able to lead them in their life,” and that the program gives people the chance to have a role model or get to be one themselves.
According to Big Sister Boston’s website, the organization serves over 4,000 girls and women from the greater Boston area and focuses on “igniting girls’ passion and power to succeed through positive mentoring relationships.” Young girls are paired with young adults who help guide them in “academic achievement, interpersonal relationships, and healthy decision-making.”
Big Sister Boston’s website said it was first founded in 1951 by Reverend Harold Taylor, Assistant Rector at Christ Church in Cambridge; Edit Taylor, a Cambridge police officer; and Frances Marley, an administrative assistant and legal consultant for the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
According to its website, the organization prides itself on its values of community, courageous communication, cultural responsiveness, empowerment and learning, equity, sisterhood, and stewardship.
Franzik said anybody on the fence about becoming a big sister should go for it because of how rewarding it can be. “I don’t think it’s something to think about,” Franzik said. “I think it’s a great experience, and you get to make friends.”
Despite the campaign having been a lot of work, Franzik said she has enjoyed her time helping to spread awareness of the organization and that it is something she will continue to help with after she graduates.
Students are encouraged to check out the website for more information on future events and on how to become a big sister.
“If you are going to sign up, I would say look forward to it,” Franzik said. “It does take some getting used to, but I think with all the different activities that you do and all the girls that you can help, it’s a really good experience to have.