It’s time for another volunteer spotlight. This week on the blog we’re highlighting Maggie Rojas. Maggie is a junior at Mercer Island High School and has been volunteering with Friendship Circle for 3 years. Her personality is as bright as her hair and she always brings such a positive attitude to every program she attends. Thank you for all of your hard work Maggie! We couldn’t be more thankful to have you as a volunteer.
Interview questions
What school do you go to and what grade are you in?
I go to Mercer Island High School and I’m a junior.
What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
I play soccer in the spring and I am a part of a club called Best Buddies at the high school. It’s similar to Friendship Circle because we get paired up with a high schooler with special needs and we get to hang out with them at school events and outside of school. I also just started working at a candy store on Mercer Island.
How long have you been volunteering with Friendship Circle?
I’ve been volunteering since the end of 7th grade/beginning of 8th grade. One of the participants' family recommended it to Molly and I so we decided to join.
What made you want to volunteer?
In middle school I started doing a program called peer mentor where you get to work with some of the kids with special needs in the classroom. During this program I got really close to the Acker family and they said that I should check out Friendship Circle because I’d be really good at it. I decided to go to one of the programs and I absolutely loved it so I’ve been volunteering ever since.
How has Friendship Circle impacted your life?
Well first of all, Friendship Circle has given me the opportunity to make so many new friends who I wouldn’t have been able to meet otherwise. It has also always been such a supportive place for me where I can fully be myself. I remember during COVID I told them I needed to take a break, and they were so nice and understanding about everything which I thought was incredible. Finally, because of how much I love volunteering at Friendship Circle, I now want to go into special education as a career.
What have you learned from volunteering at Friendship Circle?
I’ve learned so many things. I’ve learned how to talk and communicate with kids who are nonverbal or who only say a few words. I’ve also learned how to be a good friend to someone who may not be very similar to you. Also, something really important: I've learned how to be understanding towards someone who reacts differently than I would react. For example, if one of my buddies starts screaming randomly I now understand that that’s just how they express their emotions.
What’s been your favorite FC program so far?
Probably Sunday Circle because I love getting to hang out with all the participants at once. It’s so much fun to have that one-on-one time with my buddy while also getting to know some of the other participants who are doing the same activities as us.
If you could describe Friendship Circle in one word what would it be?
Supportive.