In college my oldest son volunteered as a Big Brother and taught computer science at local elementary and middle schools. After graduating, he said his time with those young students was one of the most rewarding parts of his college experience. According to emerging research, it might also have improved his mental health.
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“Part of the exploration of adolescence and young adulthood is figuring out where you can be needed and useful—arguably core aspects of our mental health,” says developmental psychologist Andrew Fuligni, co-executive director of the Center for the Developing Adolescent at the University of California, Los Angeles.