Thanks to the Bow School District’s REACH Program, students have found themselves in an operating room, performing chemistry experiments and even meeting Gov. John Lynch. Not bad places to be before graduating middle school.

The REACH mentoring programs gives students the chance to expand their interest in areas thanks to the volunteers in a variety of fields.

Small groups of students meet with the mentors usually once a week for about 45 minutes, either before or during school. The students are often recommended to the program by teachers or parents, but Bow Memorial School students often approach coordinator Christy Romano as well.

“I want to provide that opportunity for students who want to go above and beyond. It’s the neatest thing because I have mentors from the community, I have parents, teachers, school board members, high school students,” said Romano. “It’s a great relationship that’s formed. It’s cool to sit down and share that common interest.”

The program is entering its seventh year, and Romano said it helps students continue their learning even when it isn’t going to be seen on a report card.

“There’s no homework, there’s no grades; everyone gets to talk,” Romano said. “In a class, not everyone is going to have that opportunity, so it’s something that has been working.”

Romano organizes a variety of mentors, with topics on math, science, leadership and others.

“Students have the opportunity to learn more about what they’re passionate about and to gain perspective from someone who has a little more to share in that interest,” she said.

Students who took part in the inaugural year of the REACH program are now students in college and, Romano said, many of them are studying the subject they took an interest in during the mentoring sessions. She also said it will be interesting to see where the students currently in the program end up once they head into the professional world.

“Maybe we have some early engineers or doctors in the program,” said Romano.

Students have now returned to school following their summer breaks, and Romano has already been working to get mentors for children in the program.

“It’s nice to have the summer to reflect on the year and what I would do differently, and then you get rejuvenated,” said Romano. “You start talking to people, and I have already talked to about a half dozen people for mentoring, and four have said yes.”

With the first bell ringing each year comes a new challenge for the students, and for Romano.

“I know I’ll have kids who will be so excited to be a part of the groups. It’s something new and exciting each year, and every year it’s different,” said Romano. “No year has ever been the same.”