2022 BIO Girls Official Partner: Sanford Children’s
BIO Girls is proud to have Sanford Children’s as a 2022 Official Partner!
BIO Girls and Sanford Children’s impact many of the same communities. Not only are we grateful for Sanford Children’s financial support of BIO Girls’ 2022 programming, but we are grateful for the many volunteers that serve our mission!
We got to meet a few below. Check it out!
Dr. Becca Bakke
Pediatrician
Sanford Health
Dr. Bakke is a BIO Girls participant parent. She is also a valued volunteer on our Program Advisory Committee at BIO Girls, providing insight and feedback on relevant issues facing adolescent girls, proven techniques to address the issues, and research supporting our work. Thank you for your volunteerism, Dr. Bakke!
As the mother of four, I can tell you that of the many wonderful activities my kids have participated in over the years, BIO Girls is easily the most transformational. Our oldest daughter did her first session of BIO Girls in 2018, and when I signed her up, I simply hoped that she would have fun and maybe discover a love for running. After the initial parent meeting, I came away really impressed by the mission, the evidence-based, “whole girl” approach of the program, and the enthusiasm of the mentors. As the weeks went by, I found that my initial goals were easily achieved—my daughter looked forward to every session and was really excited as she found she could run farther and faster each week, but more than that, the program built her up mentally, spiritually and emotionally. She developed a special bond with her mentor, and her group served our community by working at the Emergency Food Pantry. BIO Girls helped open up some really important conversations that we continued at home about friendship, mental health and the media. She went on to participate in the program four more times, and as she grew, so did BIO Girls! Our younger daughter was able to participate in the program for the first time this spring, and she has already reminded me several times not to forget to sign her up again next year.
As a pediatrician, I know that the mission of BIO Girls is more important than ever. Mental illness among adolescents has been on the rise for the past decade, but it has really accelerated since the pandemic. I frequently have days when 1/3 to 1/2 of the patients on my schedule have mental health concerns. The topics discussed in BIO Girls not only help girls to identify when they might need additional emotional support, but more importantly, the lessons learned can help to prevent them from needing treatment in the first place. As more and more of my patients have participated in BIO Girls, it is not uncommon for me to have a conversation with a patient about how to manage anxiety, or friendship troubles, or physical challenges, and hear, ‘I learned that in BIO Girls!’
— Dr. Becca Bakke
Mindy Anderson
Family Nurse Practitioner
Perham Health Clinic
Mindy is a Family Nurse Practitioner at the Perham Health Clinic. She has the opportunity each day to care for people across their lifespan, from infants to elderly, while they are needing care for an acute illness all the way to physicals and well exams. Mindy is also a volunteer mentor at our BIO Girls - Perham, MN location! Thank you for your volunteerism, Mindy!
Why do you think a program like BIO Girls is important?
“I couldn’t dream of a better program and cause to volunteer my time to. Young girls often can struggle with low self-esteem which can lead to more clinical diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, etc. which I see on a regular basis at work. When I learned that BIO Girls was coming to our community, I knew I had to be involved. The positive impact this program has made and continues to make with these girls is unremarkable. Raising young girls takes a village, and I’m so glad that BIO Girls is a part of our village here in Perham.”
What BIO Girls lessons/topics do you resonate most with that relate to the work you do?
“I love so many of the lessons I have taught over the last 2 years with BIO Girls. I have a chalkboard in my home that I write different messages on throughout the year and “progress over perfection” was one of my favorites which was up on my chalkboard for many months to remind my children but also my husband and myself the importance of this mantra. I also regularly use the mantra “all emotions are okay” when parenting my children or talking to people about emotional health and wellbeing at work.”
How has BIO Girls impacted you as a volunteer?
“It has been so impactful for me to be a part of the girls journey through the BIO Girls season and even for some girls seeing them come back from our first to second season of BIO Girls. The relationships I have formed with co-volunteers have been beautiful. I feel like most weeks I come home from BIO Girls learning just as much or more than the participants from the lessons and interactions with others in the group - such a blessing!”
Kathleen McRae
Pediatric Physical Therapist
Sanford Children’s
Kathleen is a Pediatric Physical Therapist at Sanford Children’s in Bismarck, ND. Working in the NICU, pediatric inpatient, and outpatient settings, Kathleen sees kids from birth to 21 years old. Kathleen is also a volunteer mentor at our BIO Girls - Bismarck, ND - House of Prayer location!
Why do you think a program like BIO Girls is important?
“I think that this program is important for young girls because it teaches girls to be confident in themselves, learn how to properly cope and work through difficult situations they may encounter, and learn about different ways to be physically active to develop healthy habits.”
What BIO Girls lessons/topics do you resonate most with that relate to the work you do?
“The BIO Girls topic that has resonated with me the most is goal setting. I always remember in school teachers talking about goals and how important it was, but thought it was always so silly. Now being an adult, I see how important it is and how it drives me to be a better person professionally and personally. Therefore, this lesson I was super passionate about talking with the girls! I helped them relate goal setting to their lives: including their interests, dreams, and how to incorporate these into future practice.”
How has BIO Girls impacted you as a volunteer?
“What has impacted me the most as a volunteer is actually seeing these girls who were shy and timid at the beginning blossom into these confident young girls who are not afraid to speak up and become more confident in themselves and their abilities.”
We are so grateful for the work these individuals do and the continued dedication to the health of adolescent girls outside of their day-to-day roles.
Thank you, Sanford Children’s, for your tremendous support of BIO Girls.