B.I.O.N.I.C. Teams Send Caring Across State Lines
Mariah’s family moved to another state right before her 12th-grade year. Most seniors in that situation have great difficulty mixing into the culture of a new school because of regrets of leaving their friends behind and all that was familiar to them. Often if the student is an athlete, an actor, or a musician, they have a difficult time getting into programs at the new school because by the senior year, places on the teams, choirs, or productions have been earned by others who have been at the school all four years. Many seniors new to a school sink into depression, start using drugs, or isolate from others.
That is not what happened with Mariah. Mariah was a leader in the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team at her previous school. She loved B.I.O.N.I.C. so much that she wanted to start a B.I.O.N.I.C. Team at her new school too. So, she contacted her B.I.O.N.I.C. Team Advisor at her previous school to ask how to start a B.I.O.N.I.C. Team at her new school in California. Mariah went into the main office and asked for the paperwork to start a new club on campus. She was told that she first had to find a school staff member to be the club Advisor. Mariah could tell that her English teacher was a very caring person, so she asked her to be the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team Advisor.
Mariah went on to start the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team, and the students reached out to make a difference in their school. In Mariah’s fear and not knowing much about her new school, she could have let those things paralyze her to have a rotten senior year. But she knew she wanted to continue making a difference with her life. So she broke through all the insecurities and hesitations and established herself at her new school. Their new B.I.O.N.I.C. Team wasn’t as big or as active as the Team at the previous school, but the impact was just as powerful.
Mariah learned that if she doesn’t like the status quo where she is, she can help change it to make the quality of life happen that she wants…while making a difference at the same time! B.I.O.N.I.C. Team experiences give students the confidence that they can make a difference in whatever situation they find themselves in. This happened when one of our alumni, Anthony went to college.
During Anthony’s first week of college, Yoko – a student on his floor in the dorm – lost a loved one. It was too early for her to have made any quality friendships yet, so she was really missing her family as the grief set in. Andrew heard about her loss and since he had been a leader for loss outreaches on his B.I.O.N.I.C. Team in high school, he knew what would mean a lot to Yoko. So he rallied the people on his floor to buy flowers and a small gift for Yoko to let her know they were there to support her. Through tears, she was able to begin to process her grief and open up to her peers. Anthony is still friends with Yoko to this day as a result of that small gesture to let her know that people cared.
While participating on the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team, students learn how to reach out to welcome a new student. They learn what to say to someone who has lost a loved one. They learn simple things that can make someone feel valued. They then carry on those skills into the rest of their lives as they establish themselves with their own careers, families, friendships, and communities. B.I.O.N.I.C. Team members become leaders because they stand out from those around them because they actively reach out to those around them. The B.I.O.N.I.C. Team movement continues…creating a more caring world for all of us!