by Yuhan Liu, MSFS ’16
As the Fall 2014 semester wound down, the MSFS Big Buddies Program organized a trip to the Italian American Holiday Festival at the National Portrait Gallery. Ten Big Buddies from MSFS paired up with Little Buddies from Hearst Elementary School for an afternoon of Italian culture, arts and crafts, and live performances.
Big Buddies was founded at Georgetown in 2011, creating an opportunity for graduate SFS students to connect with children in Washington, D.C. and serve as their mentors. Over the past four years, nearly one hundred Georgetown students have served as Big Buddies, getting to know their Littles, while exploring DC and having fun. Past events include ice skating, hiking in Rock Creek Park, and trips to the National Zoo.
Betsy Wendt, the counselor at Hearst Elementary, believes that the Big Buddies program has been very successful at her school. Hearst prides itself on its strong academic program, diversity, attention to the arts, and high attendance rates. Simon Harari (MSFS’ 15), the organizer of MSFS Big Buddies, hopes that the program is another persuasive reason for students at Hearst to go to school and perform well. “I am genuinely astonished by how much these kids want to hang out with the Big Buddies.”
The next Big Buddies’ event will be in mid-February and will be open to all SFS students.