Boys, training bras, braces and periods should never ever belong in the same sentence. However, for a 13-year-old girl, those words are an all too common contribution to daily living.



Find more videos like this on The Loveliest Village

With morally questionable content all over the media, to whom are these girls supposed to confide for support during this awkward transition? Many young women, ages 12 and 13 to be exact, are turning to college women volunteers.

The Auburn University Women’s Resource Center recognized the need for positive influences for these young women last year and created the Young Women’s Leadership Program.

Thirteen college-aged women are paired with 12 seventh grade girls for a two-semester long weekly meeting time. At these meetings, which take place after the girls get out of school on Mondays, they are presented with topics about anything from relationships to drugs and alcohol.

“We can really talk about anything,” said YWLP volunteer, Marlye Armstrong. “I exchanged phone numbers with my little sister and she knows that she can call me at any time.”

Self image is one of the biggest trouble makers in the life of girls this age said Armstrong. While a lot of the exercises and discussions focus on everyday topics, the college women try to instill a confident self image into their little sister’s lives.

At one meeting, the girls were asked to describe, on a piece of paper, their worst day ever. After they finished writing, the girls exchanged secretly so that each girl’s identity was not given away. The members of the program were then asked to write down something helpful or encouraging for that particular situation.

Exercises like this one allow friendship and trust to form between the little and big sisters. Many of the relationships are so close that the pair will meet outside of the regular Monday meeting time.

After the big sisters receive consent from the parents, they are allowed to pick up their little sisters for fun outings like dinner or lunch trips.

“It is such a rewarding experience to know that someday down the road, I made a difference in the life of a girl who previously didn't know right from wrong and had no support system to encourage in furthering her education,” said YWLP volunteer, Hayley Faith.“ It definitely isn't always easy, but I know that the benefits of this program make it all worthwhile.”

YWLP is considered a service learning credit for Human Development and Family Studies students. However, any Auburn University female can be considered for a mentor position in the program.

Oh no, it’s not like a sign up at a meeting and be paired with a kid kind of thing. The responsibility to successfully cultivate a productive, positive relationship in a teenage girl’s life is complicated and detailed; and so is the application process.

The responsibility to successfully cultivate a productive, positive relationship in a teenage girl’s life is complicated and detailed; and so is the application process.

To obtain a position in the YWLP, the college student must fill out an application, interview with the junior high guidance counselor and get a recommendation letter from both a professor and a family friend.

After the leaders are accepted, they fill out a personality survey and then those are matched with a corresponding survey to fit the personality of a potential little sister.

“I’ve learned so much about myself and I’ve grown as a leader and as a woman,” said Armstrong.