GOOGLE, MAYS HS, & BBBS PARTNER UP FOR SPARK EVENT
ATLANTA – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA) is partnering with Google and Mays High School (Mays HS) to kick off a brand new Beyond School Walls program!
Once a month, starting this fall, students from Mays High School will be given the opportunity to take a bus ride over to the Google Headquarters off Peachtree Street in Atlanta, GA. During their visit, each student will meet with their Big, or mentor, which will be a Google staff member. The Bigs and Littles will have time to discuss what it’s like working for Google, certain career decisions and advice the Big would recommend, and more!
On April 12th, 2023, Mays HS students and BBBSMA staff visited the Google Headquarters for a spark event to begin this program. We were led on a tour of the extraordinary Google building, offered lunch, given time to talk with Google staff during a “Googlers in Your Corner” Movement Panel, and played games.
“Our students had a blast and this event solidified and motivated them even more to become a little,” said Mays High School Liaison, Michelle Byrdsong. “Our students were able to learn about the Googlers’ background and their professions, which was enriching for them to learn. Also, it reinforces the importance of mentorship and education, which go hand and hand. Our students would not be able to participate in these experiences without help from the BBBS of Atlanta. Thank you again and our students are looking forward to being a part of the amazing program.”
“Our Spark Event for Mays High School & Google’s partnership took so much hard work to make happen, which made it that much more special when it all paid off,” said BBBSMA Site-Based Coordinator, Lauren Henderson. “The kids were raving about the “Googlers” they had met the whole bus ride home, and they were eager to plan the next visit back to Google’s Atlanta office. I’m so grateful for the effort from both our Google team and Mays High School team, and can’t wait to see what this relationship leads to for these high school scholars!”
“Having the unique opportunity to visit Google headquarters with some of our scholars from Benjamin E. Mays High School was an amazing time,” said Mays High School teacher & AVID Program Director, Ty’Kira Dubose. “From a teachers’ perspective anytime I am able to expose students to new things that can benefit them and seeing their “Lightbulbs” flicker on is an indescribable feeling. These are moments that students will remember and take with them throughout their educational and professional careers. Many students left feeling inspired about their futures and optimistic about the resources available to them through the program.”
“Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting a group of kids from Mays High School at Google for the Big Brother Big Sister ATL Spark Event,” said Google Administrative Business Partner, Rian-Ashlei McDonald. “The event was a huge success, and we were so impressed by the enthusiasm and creativity of the students. They were eager to learn about our company and the work we do, and they asked some great questions. We also had a lot of fun doing activities together and getting to know about their career goals and dreams. It was a great way to give back to the community and connect with the next generation of innovators.”
We want to thank Google and Mays High School for making this program a possibility for our Beyond School Walls students. A special thank you to:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta’s Megan Arthur, Teri Fetiere, Lauren Henderson, Michele Pearce, Upenda Dubose, John Mangan, Chelsey Kelly, and Martiya Dunn.
Mays High School’s Michelle Byrdsong, T. Dubose, Mariama Boone, and Travis Chatman.
Google’s Rian-Ashlei McDonald, Karla Lomax, Felicia Coney, Asya Pena, Jum Ahmadi, Michael Pittman, Tomas Bracero, and Benjamin Okirie Jr.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta’s one-to-one mentoring program works with volunteers, parents, and families to help create relationships that defend, inspire and empower the potential that lives within every kid.
