Good evening, Fellows – and Happy 4th of July!

I hope you’re all enjoying a joyful day with friends, family, and loved ones. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what’s been a meaningful – and somewhat surreal – week with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS).

Despite a few challenges stemming from a medical emergency, my team has shown incredible flexibility and support, ensuring I could continue contributing to my internship. This week, I had a virtual meeting with BBBS’s Enrollment Team to begin training on the inquiry call process. This involves contacting individuals interested in becoming a volunteer, or “Big,” and supporting them through MatchForce. Starting next week, I’ll begin shadowing live inquiry calls – and I couldn’t be more excited. I also completed eleven quality assurance spot checks in MatchForce using a CoPilot-generated template inspired by my supervisor. While I mentioned this project in last week’s update, the exciting development is that my supervisor asked me to revise the work using my original material – the very content I created when I first began. Learning that my early work had such value was deeply affirming and boosted my confidence in my role.

Additionally, I proposed a draft training module for the upcoming Big Affinity Event – a space designed to support mentors through tailored resources. My proposed topics include conflict resolution, supporting mentees with autism, and promoting mental health awareness. My supervisor’s feedback was incredibly constructive, suggesting enhancements like an overview of BBBS’s ecosystem, jigsaw group activities, and even community-led focus groups on autism support. I’m looking forward to evolving this presentation in the weeks to come. Thank you all for reading, and here’s to wrapping up week five with gratitude and growth.

Well, that was quick…. Hello there, week six!