I’m not allowed to share her name, but there’s a girl out there who holds a special piece of my heart.

She was a fifth-grade student at Overton Elementary last year. Next year, she’ll be a sixth-grader at Knox Middle.

Our first encounter wasn’t the smoothest.

When I said I would mentor an elementary school student through Communities in Schools, I thought I would end up with a cute little first- or second-grader who needed help reading. When I found out I was paired with a fifth-grader, I was beyond nervous. I’m pretty good with little kids, but big kids are a completely different story.

It didn’t help that she was none to happy to see me. When I walked into her classroom and we were introduced, she refused to speak or make eye contact with me. That continued all the way to the media center, where we were supposed to work on an assignment.

I tried asking her simple questions: What was her favorite class? Did she have any siblings? What did she enjoy doing during her free time?

Her response? The silent treatment.

Once we got to the media center, we started working on her assignment. After a few minutes, she (begrudgingly) began talking to me. As we worked on her project, her steely façade began to melt away, and by the end of the hour, she asked me if I was coming back the next week.

I did, and each week we did something different.

We drew, wrote poems, read and practiced math problems. Most importantly, however, she had an hour a week of uninterrupted attention. She had an hour a week with someone who could personalize her learning experience just for her. She had an hour a week with a positive role model.

I don’t know how lasting of an impact I made on my little friend, but I think we made some good progress. If nothing else, she knows there is someone out there who truly cares about her.

After my experience volunteering with Communities in Schools, I would wholeheartedly encourage others to follow suit.

It changes your perspective and gives you an uncensored version of what’s really going on in our community’s schools. You see the bad days when students cop unbelievable attitudes, and you see the good days when principals get down on a kid’s level for a timely teaching moment.

There are a multitude of opportunities to get involved and volunteer at local schools. If mentoring isn’t your thing, maybe tutoring, proctoring tests, chaperoning a field trip, helping out in a classroom or being a lunch buddy is.

In order to get involved, however, there are a few things you need to know first.

Before an adult can do any of those things, they must be certified through Communities in Schools.

Volunteering with Communities in Schools takes commitment. In order to be approved, volunteers go through a three-tier approval process. First, the Rowan-Salisbury School System must conduct a background check on the individual. Then, they must successfully complete an online course on recognizing child maltreatment, and finally, they must attend volunteer training through Communities in Schools.

The online training takes several hours and looks at the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect in children. It explains the responsibilities of mentors, what to look for and how to respond if abuse or neglect is expected.

During volunteer training, prospective volunteers learn about best practices for tutoring and mentoring, as well as the dos and don’ts associated with volunteering with Communities in Schools.

Call 704-797-0210 or email cisrowan@gmail.com for more information about volunteering through Communities in Schools. Along with this column, you’ll see a list of training dates.