Volunteer Highlight — Karli Moch
meet karli moch!
Karli has been a Mentor for the past five years at our Olivet Lutheran and Holy Cross sites. Karli also pours her heart into BIO Girls’ as our Director of Mission Development helping give more girls opportunities to be a part of BIO Girls. We are so inspired by Karli’s time that she has put in to change young girl’s lives.
Karli– thank you! Our team, the girls you have made an impact on, and the Fargo community sincerely thank you.
What is your favorite lesson or mantra?
My favorite lesson is the one where we open up with the scenario sharing with the girls that we are having an issue with a friend of ours. We go on to tell them how terribly they made them feel about an upcoming presentation, questioning why you were even invited to present in the first place. Proceeding to share how this friend criticized every outfit you showed them that you wanted to wear for this same event. Saying you are too fat, that looks terrible on you. The opening lesson ends with asking the participants if they want to talk to their friend for them, and instead you take out a mirror and show reveal to the girls, that the person saying all of those horrible things, was actually yourself. The lesson sharing how we can be so unkind to ourselves and teaching them to have self compassion.
Why do you love volunteering for BIO Girls?
After overcoming a major health challenge, I realized that I wasn't giving back to my community in the way in which I had hoped to be doing. Discovering BIO Girls and becoming a mentor was one of the biggest shifts in my life at a time when I needed it most. During my first year, and even now, the messages that we teach our participants are the same messages I need to hear as a grown adult. I feel such a deep connection to the mission of BIO Girls and if I can continue to play even the smallest role in helping to guide girls to look inward and upward for acceptance, that brings me such joy! I keep coming back year after year because watching these ladies grow and evolve throughout the 12 weeks is incredibly rewarding. Creating meaningful and positive connections for even one girl to know they have someone cheering them on in the community will always bring me back for another year supporting the future generations of girls!
Do you have an impactful story to share from your volunteer experience?
This may seem small, but after years of mentoring every age group in our 2nd to 6th grade girls one of my favorite stories is so simple. Watching my crazy, wild, outgoing 2nd graders who are full of life having no problem raising their hand to answer any question even if "they forgot." Compared to mentoring young ladies who are in 4th and 5th grade, is a much different story. At the beginning of the 12 weeks I watched as it took weeks for these girls to open up, afraid to answer questions just in case they may answer incorrectly. To then watching them at the end of the weeks feel like they are in a safe place and filled with more confidence to raise their hand and raise their voice is one of my favorite things to watch and be a part of.
Ready to get involved?
Register for our next Virtual Lunch and Learn!
Join us to learn more from our BIO Girls team. We will cover information on the BIO Girls mission, our proven program, as well as our volunteer roles: Site Director and Mentor.
See you there!