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As a mother of four, a community volunteer, and an attorney, Elizabeth didn’t have a lot of free time. At a Lion’s Club event, she heard a Big Brothers Big Sisters representative speak about the need for volunteers.

“He talked about the children on the waiting list, and it nearly broke my heart,” Elizabeth says. “After some thought, I figured I had four hours a month to help, so I signed up.”

Elizabeth was matched with her first Little Sister, and the two built their relationship over five years. When her first Little Sister graduated high school, Elizabeth wanted to give her time to another young girl. She was soon matched with Little Sister Alie, whose parents signed her up to become a Little Sister because she was often bored at home, didn’t enjoy school, and struggled to make friends.

“She is part of my family.”

– Little Sister Alie

For their first outing, Elizabeth decided to take Alie to a high school basketball game. This seemingly small decision was huge to Alie. It was the first time she had ever been to a basketball game, and she was hooked.

“She introduced me to basketball, and I have loved it ever since,” Alie says.

Elizabeth began taking Alie to many sporting events to help nurture her new interest, and when Alie said she wanted to play sports instead of just watching them, Elizabeth helped her join leagues. She continued to fall in love with basketball and began playing soccer as well.

Playing sports has given Alie some of her closest friends in her teammates and also helped her gain confidence, which has transferred to the classroom. Her grades are better, she’s more enthusiastic about school, and she knows she has her Big Sister as a supporter off the court as well. Elizabeth has visited parent teacher conferences with Alie’s mom, where she’s advocated for testing to assess Alie’s reading issues. Alie has since been diagnosed with dyslexia and now has an Individualized Education Program, which she is excelling in.

“I have noticed that Alie’s attitude has changed since the beginning of the match and her grades have greatly improved,” Alie’s mom says. “Being matched with Elizabeth in the program has had a tremendous impact on Alie’s future.”

As Alie continues to be a star in school and in sports, she knows that she has her Big Sister Elizabeth who will either make time to sit in the stands with her or be in the crowd to cheer her on.

In 2002, when David signed up to become a Big Brother through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, there was a lot on his mind. Did he have the time? Would he be a good Big Brother? Could an out gay man be accepted as a mentor? Would his Little Brother or the child’s family be uncomfortable with having a mentor who was gay? All these questions swirled in his head.

What was not on his mind then was attending the Super Bowl.

In Minnesota, Big Brother David and Little Brother Wesley, who is now 25, were in the stands to watch Nick Foles and the Eagles take on Tom Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

They won tickets because David submitted an essay to the #CreateChangeContest, and Russell Wilson, the quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, chose David and Wesley’s story as one of the winners. So, they headed to Minnesota together to celebrate their match and take in the Super Bowl.

“I just, Wesley and I both, we hear about how many children are waiting for Bigs, and we wanted to tell our story to maybe inspire someone to decide to become a Big and give back,” David says.

“I just, Wesley and I both, we hear about how many children are waiting for Bigs, and we wanted to tell our story to maybe inspire someone to decide to become a Big and give back.”

– Big Brother David

Sixteen years ago, David and Wesley met for the first time. Little Brother Wesley was 9. They carved a pumpkin together – it was Wesley’s first time making a jack-o-lantern. Starting then, they met up to do projects and homework all through Wesley’s middle and high school years.

When Wesley was 13, David came out to him, feeling like it was an appropriate time. Wesley didn’t care, David says. “Kids just want your honesty and love it when you confide in them.”

Wesley confided in David when other kids at school bullied him. David was always there for him to talk about what had happened or to advocate for him at school. “I think he was sort of recognizing that he was different. He threw himself into his grades, his studies,” David says.

At one point when Wesley was in high school, he asked David to drop him off at a friend’s house. David could tell something was up. “Don’t you have something to tell me?” he asked. Wesley looked down. At that moment, Wesley felt like it was the appropriate time for him to come out to his Big, so told him that the boy was his boyfriend. “I just figured you already knew and I didn’t have to say anything,” Wesley said.

Working so hard through high school paid off. Wesley got scholarships and headed to Piedmont College in Georgia to study mass communications. He graduated and hopes to become a television reporter.

For the last year, Big Brother David has been helping his Little Brother Wesley with an even bigger project. Wesley’s sister was struggling, so Wesley took custody of his sister’s infant son, D.K. “So he’s sort of an uncle-dad and I’m sort of a grandfather,” David says. David often babysits, and his extended circle of friends have supported Wesley and D.K. as they adjust to being a little family.

The questions that David had all those years ago about whether he would be a good mentor and whether he would be accepted as a Big Brother have long disappeared, and his relationship with Wesley is simple. They are just brothers, sitting in the stands, watching a football game.

Growing up, Big Sister Sam always envisioned herself helping children when she got older.

In high school, she worked in a program where she spent time with a child with special needs every other week. She still keeps in touch with families she babysat for when she was in college.

“The desire to take care of children and help those who may not be as fortunate has been a true passion my entire life,” Sam says.

When she graduated college, she wanted to continue helping children, so she volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters and was matched with Little Sister Alana.

“Spending quality time with such a beautiful young soul has brought happiness, more responsibility and maturity to my life.”

– Big  Sister Sam

Alana’s father was raising her alone, and signed her up to become a Little Sister because he wanted her to have a positive female role model.

During the first match meeting, Alana and her father felt like Sam was the “perfect” Big Sister for Alana. Sam says she felt like Alana was a “mini-me” of her.

“She seemed instantly comfortable with me, as I was with her,” Sam says. “We both shared a love for singing, acting, cooking, going to the beach, and swimming.”

In the five years they have been matched, they have gone to the beach to exercise on the boardwalk, decorated cakes at Carlos’ Bake Shop, and sung duets at karaoke. They have also embraced adventure. To celebrate a match anniversary, they went to the Delaware Water Gap to go whitewater rafting. “We got to swim in the river and we even stopped on a little island and saw baby frogs,” Alana says.

Big Sister Sam and Little Sister Alana have had fun throughout their match, but they have also accomplished a lot together. Sam helped Alana land a summer job, taught her how to open up a bank account, and explored colleges with her.

With Sam’s guidance, Alana saved enough money to buy her first car and pay her own monthly insurance.

Alana’s future looks bright. She is poised to find her own passion and graduate from college just like her Big Sister. She has a stack of acceptance letters and some big decisions ahead.

“She has given me such good advice and does all she can to help me and support me,” Alana says. “She is my best friend and I hope that she is someone that is a part of my life for a long time.”

Every child should have an adult who supports them with no strings attached.

Tom volunteered to become a Big because he wanted to give a child what he never had in his own childhood, a mentor who was there for him no matter what.

At age 10, he lost his father. The loss left a void in Tom’s life that he began to fill with mentoring figures he found in athletics. He felt blessed to have coaches’ attention, but he began to see that some of these relationships were weak.

“Looking back, I realize that the vast majority of these mentoring relationships came with strings attached, for example, my performance on the field,” Tom says. “When I stopped performing well, a lot of these relationships ceased to exist.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters gave Tom the opportunity to show a child that they didn’t have to do something exceptional for an adult to care about them.

“I wanted to show a child like me that they are deserving of a positive relationship without the pressure of trying to prove oneself,” Tom says.

“I feel like I have been friends with Tom my entire life and he is so awesome.”

– Little Brother Samir

With that goal in mind, Tom signed up to be a Big. He was matched with Little Brother Samir, who says he felt like he had been waiting his whole life for a Big Brother.

Samir’s mom adopted six of her brother’s children when he was unable to care for them. All of a sudden, Samir went from having one sister to being the youngest of eight. Samir grew up watching his older cousins with their Bigs, and he couldn’t wait to have one himself.

“The day head been played out in his little mind for quite a few years,” Samir’s mom says. “When I told him he would be matched, he screamed at the top of his lungs in excitement.”

When the day finally came, the Big Brother Tom and Little Brother connected immediately. They couldn’t stop talking. They both loved dogs, Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles, and comic books.

“From the minute we met, we became instant friends,” Tom says. “The most dynamic duo since Batman and Robin.”

Like a superhero duo, the two make a great team, but that hasn’t stop them from being competitive over the years. They debate about their hometown Steelers, battle each other in video games, and even challenge one another in the gym. Tom is a personal trainer and helps Samir lift weights and take on obstacle courses. Tom beats Samir in a lot of their head-to-head challenges, but that hasn’t extinguished Samir’s competitive fire.

“One day, I am going to be stronger than Tom and be able to do all of the awesome things I see him do to help other people,” Samir says. “One day, I am going to be able to beat him in all of the games he beats me in now.”

Despite their competitive nature, the two couldn’t be any closer. The two love playing with Tom’s dogs, Tito and Carl, have seen all the Pittsburgh spots teams play, and ramble about their passion for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Though Tom set out to show a child they didn’t have do exceptional things for an adult to care for them, he still had quite the exceptional Little in Samir.

“Whenever I make a decision, I think about what kind of example I am setting for Samir,” Tom says. “I truly believe that it was this program that enabled me to develop the quality of character that led me to my wife.”

When Tom got married, Samir walked Tom’s mom down the aisle. At the wedding, Samir’s mom cried watching her son smile and be so proud of something special for someone else. She says it’s the same smile he had when he was first matched with Tom.

When Big Sister Lauren was matched with Little Sister Shyae, they felt an instant connection. Shyae felt so comfortable around Lauren that she opted to call her “Sissy.”

“I was feeling kind of lonely before I met Lauren,” Shyae says. “I was happy to have a new friend to venture out in life with.”

Shyae’s mom signed her up to be a Little because she noticed a negative change in Shyae’s attitude in school and at home. She felt she needed someone to listen to her, give her guidance, and help boost her confidence. Luckily, around this time, a graduate student named Lauren had completed her student teaching and decided she could spend her extra time being a Big Sister. They were soon matched.

“Shyae and Lauren are the perfect match and have similar, yet unique personalities,” Shyae’s mom says. “It’s funny because their clothes often match when they get together..”

In the six years they have been matched, Lauren has made an effort to share new experiences with Shyae and help her explore her interests. The two have walked on runways at fashion shows, appeared on a live radio talk show, and sung their hearts out at a Taylor Swift concert. Together, the two have also used their match outings to overcome each other’s fears – public speaking for Lauren and heights for Shyae.

“The organization has made a Big difference in both or lives, and will for years to come.”

– Big Sister Lauren

“Shyae has now stood beside me as we have presented about the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization at numerous nonprofit events throughout greater Pittsburgh,” Lauren says. “We have also conquered her fear of heights by riding the Pittsburgh Incline and Kennywood’s highest roller coasters.”

One of Shyae’s favorite outings was an event at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh office called “Fierce Women Project.” There, she listened to inspiring women speak, and felt moved to kick-start her own little business of designing and selling jewelry.

“I named my business ‘Shyae’s Unique Jewelry,’” Shyae says.

Shyae set up “Shyae’s Unique Jewelry” tables at various events, and Lauren supported her Little Sister’s entrepreneurial efforts, often helping her pick out supplies to make her jewelry.

Over time, Shyae has transformed from a lonely, shy, girl into a confident young woman who conquers her fears, owns her own business, and excels at school.

“To me, Shyae is an artist, a stylist, and an entrepreneur,” Lauren says. “She’s a snapshot of today’s youth, and I just so happen to be lucky enough to call her my Little Sister.”

Lauren should probably add “poet” to that list of words describing Shyae. Recently, Shyae’s teacher asked Shyae to write a poem, and she chose to write about Lauren. She encapsulated the beauty of their relationship in eight lines:

“Ode to My Sissy”

Thanks for supporting me, even when I am wrong
Thanks for protecting me, and making me strong
Thanks for soothing me with love, when I am down
Thanks for making me smile, and wiping my frowns
Thanks for watching out for me, when things don’t seem fine
Thanks for pulling me up, when I am out of line
Thanks for playing perfectly, my sister’s role
I will always love you, from my heart and soul.

Two years before Little Brother Zyshonne was born, his brother died. Though Zyshonne never met him, he still mourned and agonized over the loss once he was able to comprehend what happened.

“One day, at the playground, I actually caught him crying about his brother’s death,” Zyshonne’s grandfather says. “He told me, ‘It hurts so bad to have a brother die before I had a chance to try to help him.’”

Zyshonne has eight siblings, but he lives with only two of them and his grandparents. His other six brothers and sisters were separated and placed in foster homes. When he was 7, he watched child protective services take away two of them.

The loss of his brother and the displacement of his family led Zyshonne to build a wall of shyness to keep people from getting close to him. His grades and social skills suffered. So, when Zyshonne was 10, his grandfather turned to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“As the weeks went by, I saw Zyshonne every week for lunch, slowly building our friendship, one game, one laugh, and one smile at a time.”

– Big Brother Wayne

Around this time, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland and Salem Counties hosted their annual Rise and Shine Breakfast, an event to raise money and cultivate interest in volunteering. In the crowd sat a man named Wayne, who says that day changed him forever.

“The heartfelt stories I heard that morning moved me to stop sitting on the sidelines,” he says. “I wanted to make a difference, so I took action and volunteered to be a Big Brother.”

The following February, Wayne became the Big Brother to Zyshonne. They began as a school-based match, slowly getting to know each other over games of checkers.

“As the weeks went by, I saw Zyshonne every week for lunch, slowly building our friendship, one game, one laugh, and one smile at a time,” Wayne says.

Their match was still blossoming when the school year ended, and the two wanted it to continue to grow. They transitioned into the community-based program. Their days of playing games of checkers turned into days of attending Phillies and Eagles games, both firsts for Zyshonne. The two formed unforgettable memories, and Zyshonne’s shyness wall began to crumble.

Now, Zyshonne is an outstanding and outspoken young man. His grandfather has noticed improvement in Zyshonne’s confidence and academics. He says “slowly helped him climb out of his cocoon.”

Zyshonne has come a long way from being the boy who didn’t want to get close with anyone. He looks up to his Big Brother and plans to follow in his footsteps.

“I live in a town where kids get in trouble all the time,” Zyshonne says. “I want to show them they can be good because somebody loves them – that is why I decided to become a High School Big. I want to be good for them because I have the power to make them smile and be happy like Wayne did for me when I was growing up.”

Wayne and Zyshonne see how powerful mentoring can be, and they recognize that their story is emblematic. Now, they often speak at Big Brothers Big Sisters events, such as the Rise and Shine Breakfast that first inspired Wayne. They share their story in hopes of inspiring someone in the crowd to become a Big.

Growing up without a father or mother for any length of time is one of the hardest things a child can experience. When Little Sister Rustie was 2, her mother decided she no longer wanted to raise her. When Rustie got older, her father was incarcerated. After a stint with caregivers, Rustie went to live with her grandparents.

Her tough early childhood meant that Rustie struggled to make positive choices and fit in with her peers at school. To help change that, her grandmother signed her up to be a Little.

Big Brothers Big Sisters matched Rustie with Big Sister Elena, who had worked as a staff member at a children’s hospital, where she learned how to handle stressful situations with children  with various behavioral and mental health concerns. Despite her Big Sister’s credentials, Little Sister Rustie wasn’t immediately impressed.

“The first time I met Elena, she was shy and quiet, and I thought, ‘this isn’t going to work,’” Rustie says.

Their first outing together changed things. They went to see “Big Hero 6,” on a special themed night where the movie theater encouraged moviegoers to dress up as their favorite superhero. Rustie didn’t have a costume, so Elena made something for the two of them to wear: matching red and purple capes.

“I think someday I will be a Big too and make a sad girl feel happy and special.”

– Little Sister Rustie

They became their own superheroes.

“Nobody ever made me something like that before,” Rustie says. “I had fun, and she made me feel like I was special.”

A month later, they attended a superhero event at the carousel, so once again, they wore their capes.

As time went on, Rustie began to see Elena as someone she could talk to about friendship issues, and someone who wanted to spend time with her hiking, rollerblading, and ice skating.

One of Rustie’s favorite memories of their match is a time that did not go as planned.  Elena’s car broke down, and she and Rustie had to walk to get help. On that walk, the two talked nonstop. “I just felt like she was listening to me and giving me good advice.” Rustie says. “That was when I knew that she really cared about me.”

Elena has also helped Rustie maintain a relationship with her father. Elena often takes photos of things they do together for Rustie’s grandma to share with him. “He has written me in gratitude for my time spent with Rustie, and I can tell by his words that his daughter means the world to him,” Elena says. “I can tell by the excitement in Rustie’s voice when she talks about her dad how fond she is of him.”

The strength of their match is undeniable, but Elena doesn’t like to take any of the credit. She gives it all to Rustie.

“Rustie is an incredible, strong girl and she makes me look good as a Big Sister,” Elena says. “Learning what a huge difference simply being present can make for someone has been a very powerful lesson to me.”

Since the two were matched, Rustie has started to deal with some of the challenges that brought her family to Big Brothers Big Sisters years ago. Now, she is often first in her class to finish projects. She has made friends at school and is always eager to tell Elena about her social life.

“I have watched Rustie develop into a fun loving and confident individual,” Rustie’s grandma says. “Elena is someone Rustie has been able to connect with and turn to for advice and guidance as well as be introduced to a wide variety of experiences she otherwise would not have had.”

Rustie’s childhood circumstances may have led her to think she needed a Big who would be a superhero, but as it turns out, she only needed Elena, who gave Rustie her own cape and showed her she could be her own hero.

A Message from Pam Iorio, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America:

“We have 27 Bigs at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.”

These were the words I heard from Ana Cedeno, the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County in the hours after the dreadful tragedy.

In those first hours, we didn’t know the full extent of this horrific shooting. As the day unfolded we learned of 17 deaths, including 14 students. Other students were injured and hospitalized, including one of our Bigs.

Since that shooting all Americans have been saddened by the destructive force that one person can unleash. The senseless loss of these students and their teachers diminishes us all.

And then I go back to those first words: “We have 27 Bigs at Marjory Stoneman Douglas.”

A “Big” is the word we use for a mentor. For 114 years caring adults have volunteered to be a Big Brother or a Big Sister to a “Little”. These professionally supported matches can make all the difference in a young person’s life. Time has shown that our Littles perform better at school, are less inclined to engage in risky behaviors and report greater self-esteem.  There are times in the life of a Little that the only person they can turn to for support is their Big.

Some of our BBBS agencies have a High School Big program which matches a High School student with a Little in elementary school. For 15 years, Douglas High School has been the site of such a program.

It is an incredible display of leadership to mentor a young person.  That so many teenagers at Douglas High School decided to devote part of each week to help the next generation of children speaks volumes about them and the culture of the school. The 27 High School Bigs at Douglas High School are demonstrating their concern for the welfare of younger children as they face the many challenges of growing up.

Their leadership is inspiring, as is the leadership displayed by over 150,000 Big mentors across our country.  These volunteers, in all 50 states, give of their time and their hearts to help a young person be their best self.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to reach and help every young person who needs guidance and support. But that doesn’t mean we stop trying. Our country is only as good as we make it, each of us, in our own way. We can’t help but wonder if the shooter’s life would have taken a different turn had he been matched with a Big Brother.

Police Chief Scott grew up with two quality mentors — his parents. His father taught Scott and his friends to fish and hunt, and his mom encouraged them to empathize with others. The lessons had lasting effects on Scott, but modeling mentorship may have been the biggest. As he went through college and started his career as a beat cop, he sought out mentors for himself and eventually sought to become one.

“Thanks to my upbringing, I wanted to contribute to my community by becoming a mentor,” Scott says.

Back in 2006, Scott connected with his local agency and became the Big Brother to Little Brother Marcus, who he describes as being a “curious fifth-grader.” They began as a school-based match. Scott and Marcus played games and worked on homework at Marcus’ school. Eventually, they transitioned to being a community-based match, so they could do activities in the community.

“I introduced Marcus to fishing and other outdoor fun that this ‘city kid’ had never experienced,” Scott says. “Through Marcus, I learned important information about what it was like for him to be raised as a young black child facing poverty in North Minneapolis, as well as his experiences in school, with sports, and unfortunately with the police.”

Around this time, Scott became Chief of Police for the City of Columbia Heights. The city had a rising crime rate and was one of the least affluent of all the Twin Cities suburbs. As the new police chief, Scott took a look at the city and his department and realized that strengthening the relationship between the law enforcement and the youth they served could have the positive impact he was looking for, and thanks to his Little, Marcus, he knew exactly how to do it.

“I cannot overstate the tremendous impact BBBS has had on our community and our kids.”

– Big Brother Scott

He started by organizing the first “Summit on Youth” which brought together community members, school and city officials, and other leaders to set priorities for youth development. One of the key priorities that emerged was mentoring. Scott first had his officers visit schools to lead story time, talk about bullying, and play sports with kids. In 2012, when a new BBBS School-Based Mentoring Program started in Columbia Heights, Scott made sure many of his officers signed up, and now more than half of the officers serve as Bigs.

“It’s great to see my cops visiting schools, making friends and perching on tiny chairs to read stories, shoot hoops, or talk with teens,” Scott says. “The department’s culture has fundamentally changed and our staff now understand the benefits of building mentoring relationships.”

The city and the department have seen the results and people outside have taken notice as well. The International Association of Chiefs of Police awarded it a Community Policing Award in 2012. The U.S. Department of Justice honored the police/school collaboration with the 2015 Anthony Sutin Civic Imagination Award, calling it “a national role model in stark contrast to the climate of mistrust that now dominates police-community relations in many cities.” The department has been featured in news outlets from the Minnesota Star Tribune to the Huffington Post.

“The city has seen an astonishing turnaround, and is thriving,” says Scott’s BBBS Match Support Specialist. “Juvenile arrest have fallen by more than half, from 243 in 2007 to 90 in 2015; and the high school suspension rate has dropped 130%.”

While Scott’s advocacy for mentorship throughout his department have been a key part of city improvements, he hasn’t forgotten that it all starts with individualized one-to-one relationships. When Little Brother Marcus became a young adult, Scott became a Big again to Little Brother Connor. Over the last three years, he’s seen Connor go from an unfocused and disengaged kid to a kid who participates in the afterschool robotics club and school musical. To celebrate Connor’s growth, Big Brother Scott took him go-karting.

Scott has spent his life witnessing the power of mentoring and the power of advocating for it. He continues to this day, recruiting his friends in fire departments and city councils to become Bigs as well. He even recruited his own wife to become a Big Sister. Whenever someone he knows decides to become a Big, he shares the same advice.

“Life is about connection,” he says. “Just care. Be there. People don’t need advice as much as they need presence. Just show up.”

After retiring as a school principal, Verna still felt compelled to make a difference in someone’s life, so she became a Big Sister. She was matched with Little Sister Sarah, who was 6.

Like many kids, Sarah was struggling with school, both socially and academically.  Her attendance was inconsistent. Bullies targeted her. Reading didn’t come easily, and she had trouble making friends. Her mom signed her up to be a Little Sister so she could have a positive role model who would help her through these tough times. As a former school principal, Verna had worked with many kids before, but even she admits that this relationship would be different.

“As an elementary school principal, I met and worked with many 6-years-olds, but this was unlike any of my previous experiences,” she says. “Fortunately, the BBBS match support specialists helped us find ways to spend time together that focused on getting to know each other and having fun.”

“Seeing another person blossom into a caring thoughtful young adult is worth every second.”

– Big Sister Verna

The two found themselves enjoying all sorts of outings, both educational and fun. They conducted science fair projects, explored books at the library and blew through writing activities on the computer to help Sarah develop her spelling skills. They also discovered animals at the zoo, snagged tickets to Beauty and the Beast (the play version), and sat in the stands when the circus came to town. Sarah couldn’t get enough of her new Big Sister.

“She is so fun to be around, and every time I’m with her, her smile and cheer just light up the room,” Sarah says.

Sarah was enjoying her time with Verna, but the turbulent times weren’t over for her. For a time, Sarah was hospitalized for mental health issues. Even during these most trying of times, her Big Sister still made it a point to visit and write letters. Sarah’s mother was moved by this.

“Verna gives so much love, time and attention to Sarah,” she says. “She has stood by and supported her through the good and the bad.”

The same could be said for Sarah. When Verna was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent treatments, Sarah mirrored Verna. She wrote Verna a letter, saying:

You have been an extremely WONDERFUL BIG SISTER. I know that you are having to do your therapy so we haven’t really been able to see each other lately, and that’s alright. I understand that you have to put yourself first and your health first. I’ve been praying for you every day.

The letter is Verna’s favorite keepsake.

“During one of the most difficult points in my own life, my Little Sister was encouraging me through breast cancer treatments,” Verna says. “What a blessing.”

They have grown inseparable, and Sarah’s mom thinks Sarah’s future will be much better because of Verna.

“Sarah is not as quick to give up on school and life and her future as she once was,” Sarah’s mom says. “Verna is the best Big Sister I could have ever hoped for Sarah.”

Early on, Verna was right to think that her relationship with Sarah would be different from those she had when working as a principal. Now, 10 years since the two were first matched, the relationship has also proven to be the most special.