For students who love kids, service and want to get involved in the community, PALS is the perfect club to join. PALS is a group similar to Big Brother and Big Sister. Students are teamed up with kids ages 6-15 to spend time mentoring, teaching and getting to know them. Cassie Walker, director of the club, said it is a rewarding experience for both the student and the child being mentored.

“PALS is a social mentoring group,” Walker said. “We match USU students with Cache Valley kids. They hang out about once a week with each other and then we also do large group activities.”

PALS is also nonprofit and is funded by United Way of Cache Valley.

Walker said her favorite part of the club is how “cool it is to watch the children’s eyes light up when you see them.” Walker was paired up with a young girl for her pal last year, and at first she said it was hard to see why the child needed to be involved in the program.

“She seemed like a pretty normal kid,” Walker said.

After getting to know her more though, Walker said she realized how much the girl’s family had gone through.

“Her mom said that they live and die by PALS. It’s made every difference for their three girls,” Walker said.

PALS has proven to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone involved. Rendon Barlow, member of the club, said the most rewarding part of being a member is “making a difference in kids’ lives.” Barlow, who has been part of PALS for about a year, said he grew to love the child he was matched up with last year and really got to know him on a deeper level.

“PALS definitely made a difference in my pal’s life … and it really makes me grateful for what I have in my life,” he said.

Rhiannon Bennion, another member of PALS, said she joined because she was looking for a way to get involved with kids in Cache Valley. The children who join PALS are those who need a role model in their lives for many different reasons. Some children have grown up in a broken home, others just need a good friend to be there when they need it most. Bennion said her favorite part about the club is the long-term relationship aspect.

“It is fun to be able to form a bond that’s not just for one night,” she said. “I’ve had the same pal for over a year now so you really get to see them grow up and be there for the ins and outs of their life.”

Benjamin Allred joined PALS as a freshman and was the club’s director last year. Allred said the best part about being a member of the club is the time spent thinking about other people.

“It is nice to have one night a week to forget about yourself and just focus on someone else,” Allred said. “I joined a lot of the service-center clubs my freshman year, and I really felt like PALS had it together and also it seemed to make the most difference.”

There is more to the club than just hanging out with the student’s “pal.” There are also large group activities that everyone can get involved in. Not only this, but volunteers are always wanted to help plan activities or special projects. Tie dyeing T-shirts is on the list of events for next month. The PALS Club specializes in getting the mentored children excited about the events, which gives the children something to look forward to.

PALS members said there are more children out there who need a college friend to look up to. While the society and community may seem similar, some kids fall through the cracks and need extra help in their everyday lives. This is where the college students of PALS come in.

“There’s something about having someone older than you take time out of their day for you,” Bennion said. “The kids have so much fun walking around town with us, and we do too.”

It is obvious to see how much current PALS members enjoy this opportunity. Those interested in joining PALS can find the club’s Web site at usu.edu/asusu. PALS is a fun, exciting and rewarding experience for everyone involved.

– lauren.gardner@aggiemail.usu.edu