Sasha joined FC in December and has been going above and beyond in her involvement. She is always very positive and interactive during our virtual programs. What school do you go to and what grade are you in? Hi! My name is Sasha Nelson. I’m a sophomore at Lakeside School. What other extracurricular activities do you participate in? I take dance classes at Allegro Performing Arts Academy. I attend class virtually for now, but I hope to go in person soon. I’ve also been doing aerial silks for two years, and you wouldn’t believe some of the crazy stunts I can do now! What do you like to do in your free time? I’m really interested in video editing. In fact, when my show choir’s performance was canceled last spring due to COVID, my sister and I made a green screen movie version of the show over the summer. Learning about a ton of computer programs and digital editing was an insanely cool experience. What made you want to join Friendship Circle? I first heard about Friendship Circle three years ago, when my friends were talking about what they were going to do for their bar mitzvah projects. A few people mentioned the Friendship Circle to me at the time, but I became really interested in the program during this past December. I’d been feeling crazy isolated from everyone, and I realized that others were feeling like that too. I was reminded of Friendship Circle, and I saw it as an opportunity to both meet other volunteers and make the pandemic a little easier for a lot of kids. In the last two months I’ve been able to meet tons of people who welcomed me into the circle with open arms. I am so appreciative that I was accepted as a volunteer in the middle of the year, and I look forward to volunteering in as many activities as I can. How has FC played a role in your life during the pandemic? Participating in the weekly Sunday Circles has helped me feel less alone during the pandemic. I have loved getting to know all of the kids — buddies and volunteers — and I hope to build stronger relationships with everyone. This is a really kind group of people, and I’m thrilled to now be a part of this community. What is your favorite aspect of volunteering for us? Although I have only joined the Friendship Circle while it operates over zoom, I’m truly amazed with what the group has been able to accomplish. I’m always glad to see how excited the buddies get during each activity. My favorite aspect of volunteering with the Friendship Circle so far has to be getting to talk to a buddy one-on-one. They all have the brightest personalities and bundles of energy! What has been your favorite program so far? I couldn’t believe when Caroline asked me to lead an Exploring with Friends program with her just a few weeks ago. I hadn’t been with Friendship Circle very long, and I also hadn’t had the chance to attend one of these programs myself. However, as nervous as I was, I was also incredibly excited. It was a completely different experience to lead a much smaller group of kids in these activities, as opposed to the large crowd the Sunday Circles draw. We got to play some awesome games, the buddies got to show off their pets, and we had a great time!
