Diana Dominguez – Helping Bigs and Littles Get Off to a Great Start
Diana Dominguez loves working with kids, and as a Bilingual Enrollment Specialist, she loves that she can offer them a warm welcome when they come to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas.
“I always knew I wanted to work with kids,” she says.
After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 2016, she first began working with children as an educator, teaching Spanish to eighth graders at Park Crest Middle School in Pflugerville. Two years ago, Diana joined BBBS and began putting her bilingual skills and experience with kids to work in a new way.
Working on the frontlines of the agency, she conducts the initial interviews with potential Littles and their families and plays a vital role in assessing each family’s particular needs and goals.
“I want to find out why they want to be in the program and what they’re looking for in a match,” Diana says. “It’s also important to know what their personality is like, if they’re dealing with specific issues or challenges, or if there’s been trauma in their lives.”
Her work isn’t limited to working with kids and families, though. She plays an equally important role in the process of assessing and interviewing potential Bigs.
“It’s important to find out how committed and reliable they are,” says Diana. “I want to learn not only about their experience with kids, but also about their experience with people who have backgrounds and experiences that are different than their own.”
It’s only after this careful attention and assessment of both a Little’s needs and a Big’s strengths that a match is proposed.
“I remember my first match introduction and how nervous I was,” she says. “It gets easier, though!”
Although at times Diana misses the long-term connections to kids that she enjoyed as a teacher, she appreciates having opportunities to see Bigs and Littles at BBBS events and keep up with their progress in that way.
She also appreciates the opportunities she has to work with families.
“It’s my favorite part of the job,” she says. “I feel honored that families put their trust in me.”
As committed as Diana is to matching the right child with the right adult mentor, she’s not all work and no play, however. When she’s not busy at BBBS, Diana makes her own family a priority and especially enjoys cooking with her mother’s recipes! She also stays active as a runner, and well-informed as a listener of political podcasts.
Diana is an essential member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ team. The experience, dedication and compassion that she brings to her work every day ensures that Bigs and Littles get off to a great start, setting the stage for impactful mentoring relationships that make a lifetime of difference.
