Pusan Road Program
My name is Leslie Parra and I am a Posse scholar and a junior here at Babson. I’ve taken part in the Community Action Program for about 3 semesters now. I’ve done the Wellesley Barton Road Program, the Framingham Pusan Road Program and the Framingham Musterfield Program. I’m used to being around younger kids because of my family so it’s no wonder that I’ve been involved in most of the after school programs that the Office of Faith and Service has. Being a part of these programs started off for me as a way to get off campus and away from the Babson bubble that can sometimes get overwhelming. Going in, I didn’t know what to expect at first and till’ this day, I can say I still don’t. Every day is so different from the next and that’s what makes this program such a unique experience for every mentor. Slowly, I began to realize the impact that being a mentor really has on the lives of these kids. Something as simple as consistency is not always present in their lives and being that someone they can count on is important. We only get 15 weeks, sometimes even less, to make that impact but it’s never just a one-way street. I’ve learned so much from being a mentor to these kids, things about myself, about them, and about how to make every single day matter regardless of how long you’re there for. This program has made me more passionate about the art of giving back and it can be life changing for these young kids to have someone they look up to, sometimes even someone they aspire to be. For me personally, the end of this semester has been difficult having to say good-bye because I’ll be going abroad next semester but I know that they’ll have amazing mentors taking over. I’m so grateful for having had the opportunity to be a part of this CAP family and I hope senior year I will have the opportunity to continue on.