Curry College Partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay

Kyler Bucano, a Junior at Curry College knew he wanted to make his college experience more meaningful. After hearing from a teammate on his basketball team that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay had over 800 kids waiting for mentors in the Boston area, he knew he wanted to get involved.

“As a college student, I wanted to share my experiences with a Little Brother” Bucano said, “I thought it was important that every kid have someone to look up to”.

What Bucano didn’t know is that he would be one of four college students from Curry College to jumpstart a new partnership with the Holland School, one of the top underperforming schools in Boston, deemed apart of the Circle of Promise. Recently taken over by the state, the Holland School in previous years scored chronically low MCAS scores and is located in a non-T accessible Dorchester, notoriously difficult for volunteers to get to.

Now after three years, thanks to the collaboration and perseverance of the Curry College staff and students, transportation to and from the Holland School was provided, allowing college students to mentor some of the highest need students in the state.

“We have been trying to match up the Holland with another school for years now” added Terrence McCarron, Director of Program Services at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay. “We are just thrilled to have found such a willing school like Curry College to start this long-term partnership, and look forward to watching this relationship flourish- for all involved.”

The opportunity will provide children at the Holland School with the opportunity to build meaningful and lasting connections with college students. The hope is that the friendship will impact the kids’ success both in and outside the school environment.

In such a short amount of time, Curry College has already been able to match four Big Brothers , including Bucano, and a handful of Big Sisters through the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston with the children at the Holland School; and all parties are starting to see positive impact.

“The Bigs have been great!” Says Joe King, City Connects Coordinator for the Holland. “The Littles really look forward to the days they get to meet with their Bigs. Their close bonds are growing very quickly.”

“My Little Brother Arn is the best”, Bucano added “He always wants to try his hardest when I’m around and has become a much better listener. I hope the Big Brothers Big Sisters program will grow our friendship even more than it already has so that Arn will understand that I’ll always be there for him, no matter what.”

Despite the success of the partnership, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay is still in great need of more volunteers like those at Curry College. With hundreds of children in the area waiting for mentors, the organization is currently seeking other programs in the area to get involved. To learn more about becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister or how you can get involved contact Ivett Delgado at IDelgado@bbbsmb.org or visit bbbsmb.staging.wpengine.com.