Jasmine Khamouna has always believed in the power of mentoring. Khamouna has been a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters for over a year now. She became a mentor because she likes to help people, especially children.
“I got involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters because it is a great thing to be able to say you made a difference in a little kid’s life.” said Khamouna.
Khamouna is the Match of the Month for the Hastings area. This means that she has shown a special interest in mentoring her little, Amber.
Being a big brother or sister really does make a difference in a young person’s life. Research shows that children with mentors are 52 percent less likely to skip school and 37 percent are less likely to skip class.
10 percent of high school seniors in 2010 did not graduate and 1,968 students dropped out of school. If there were more mentors this number could be less.
“Just having a mentor, having a friend, having a person you can rely on is always a good thing to have, whether or not they’re at risk or not” said Khamouna.
Khamouna said, kids need a good role model in their lives. They need someone that they can talk to and learn from. Mentors offer encouragement and are that person that children can rely on.
“Being a big sister is just fun. We like to play board games, card games, and lately we’ve been on an origami kick,” said Khamouna.
For more information visit the Hastings Big Brothers Big Sisters website.
