Olivia Hayne started as a participant in Pass it On when she was 15 years old. It was so meaningful to her that, ten years later, she joined the board of The Circle Education. “This program is incredibly special, and I want to make sure it continues and expands so it keeps serving kids on the island for a long time.”
Olivia Hayne joined Pass it On, an after-school cross-peer mentorship program, in high school, which is a challenging time for many teens. “I hung out with friends in school who were two years older than me, and some of them were in Pass it On. They’d told me how awesome and unique the program was, which sparked my interest,” says Olivia.
She loved how Pass it On provided a safe space and a close-knit group of peers during a pivotal time in her life. “There is so much coming at you, and from so many different directions, in high school,” she continues. “You don’t know where you fit in yet, and you’re comparing yourself to others. In Pass it On, I was suddenly sitting down with a group of young women from different friend groups, backgrounds, experiences and lifestyles; realizing that we are all going through the same stuff and that we were more similar than we thought.”
Olivia sometimes looks back and wishes she had a group like Pass it On now that she’s an adult. “I long for that connection every once in a while. It would be great to have a group like that during poignant or transitional times in your life. It’s sometimes easier to discuss sensitive things with someone who is just one step removed from you. Someone familiar, but who is not going to give you the answer you want to hear. Hearing other people’s perspectives and views on how they handle a situation broadens your mindset. Like: ‘oh, I’ve never thought of it that way, but that makes a lot of sense’.”
A Pass it On reunion in 2022, where forty former Pass it On participants were reunited with each other and longtime facilitator Kate Nash, brought Olivia back to The Circle Education. “It was so nice to be reconnected with everyone; it was like no time had passed. It made me realize how much I missed the program. Seeing all these former participants in the same setting, and hearing stories about how Pass it On had impacted them, made it clear how incredibly special it is. It’s a program that needs to remain in our community. If I am lucky enough to have kids in the future, I want them to be part of it.”
And so, she reached out to Kate Nash, who connected her with executive director Janine Fernandes-Hayden. “She asked me if I would be interested in joining The Circle Education’s Board of Directors. I hadn’t thought of it, but said ‘Yes. Absolutely. If that is a way I can help facilitate this program to continue to run, to become bigger and broader and reach more kids, I’m in.”
As a former Pass it On participant, she hopes to make a difference on the board. “The highlights for me these past years are the fundraisers we’ve put on, as it is an opportunity to connect with the community and to show everyone what we do. I always like to tell people about the program and how important it was for me, and still is for youth on the island.”
Olivia stresses the importance of real connections. “Every student in high school has a phone to communicate with, but it is good to put those down and actually talk about topics that are important in your life. To be able to sit in a circle surrounded by human beings and to have real conversations, instead of texting or chatting, is so important.”
