Tackling Large Hills — Andrea Barto
Andrea Barto loves riding bikes with her daughter in their Austin, Texas neighborhood. It’s her favorite hobby because she gets to spend quality time with her child, and she says tackling the big hills teaches her that hard work pays off. This may seem like a simple activity and lesson, but to many youths from low-resource families, even the simple things feel out of reach. Andrea wants to change all that.
As a female Director of Engineering in the tech industry, Andrea understands adversity. She has also seen first-hand the power of getting involved. After college, she regularly mentored high school and college students, including a short mentorship in Mexico. “Spending a week there, it was amazing to see how much of a difference pouring into local kids there made,” Andrea shares. “It truly changed my life and broadened my perspective. Not only was I caring for high school girls, but I experienced how it was to care for local kids and mothers who were less fortunate than ourselves.”
It was the simple things, Andrea noted, that meant a lot to these families; Meals from the church food pantry. Kicking the soccer ball around. A hug. “I realized then that sometimes even when folks are going through hardships, they just need someone to go alongside life with them,” Andrea says. “Maybe their fathers weren't there anymore or they were being raised by a grandmother.” Many of the people Andrea worked with were missing key support roles in their lives.
Andrea has continued to work with other charitable organizations, including Mobile Loves and Fishes, SAFE Austin and Capital Area Food Bank. But working with kids has always been in her heart.
Youth Mentoring
On a volunteer match website, Andrea came across Great Life Mentoring.
“I wanted to give back and also be able to volunteer with others who were passionate about the same things I was,” Andrea shares.
Being a Board member was something that had been suggested to her by her previous manager and a mentor. With her passion for helping youth from low-resource families, Great Life Mentoring was the perfect match.
“Being a youth mentor is so important because it's a calm stability in the ever-changing lives of youth,” Andrea shares. “Being a mentor means being someone that can be counted on and that cares. That speaks volumes to anyone, and it's something many youths do not get to experience: Having a true friend. Mentoring is also supporting them through very difficult circumstances. Luckily, there is great training at Great Life Mentoring for the mentors, too!”
To tackle those large hills in life, we all need help at some point, especially youth who may not have learned how to cope with the stresses of daily life. “Great Life Mentoring is doing great things for youth, and I'm so appreciative to be a part of the Board,” says Andrea. Become a youth mentor for Great Life Mentoring and tack those hills together.
