I heard about Big Brothers Big Sisters first when I was in a new elementary school. It was a program we didn't have in my old town, so I wondered what it was about, but that was as far as my curiosity went. I didn't hear about the program again until my move in day for my freshmen year of college. Big Brothers Big Sisters had a booth set up, so I got some information to take home and marinate on. When I learned it was a mentorship program for kids anywhere between five and eighteen years old, I was hooked. Being called the "mom" of multiple friend group and putting myself in that "big sister" leadership role with my friends, I knew that this was an opportunity I had to take.

Once I emailed the organization expressing my interest in being a Big Sister, I had to have three friends fill out a reference form. Basically, it's their way of making sure I'm not a horrible person who others see as unfit to be a Big Sibling. I chose two of my closest friends from back home whom I could depend on to fill it out in a timely manner, and also my roommate who could fill it out while I was in the room with her. Once those were processed. I was called in for an interview. It's not a job interview; it's a personality and interest based interview. The man who interviewed me was super friendly and really easy to talk to. They asked me about my family life, past experiences (good and bad), what I'm looking for in a Little Sister, my personal interests and activities, etc. You share only what you are comfortable with. My interviewer presented a non-judgmental atmosphere where I was able to feel comfortable talking about some bad experiences in my life. They used all of the information my references and I gave to create the Perfect Match with an eager young girl.

One thing they emphasized to me is that there may be young kids with troubled households or other special scenarios, those aren't situations that I have to deal with if I'm not comfortable with them. There are kids who will request Big Siblings for multiple reasons, with one being simply they want an older figure to look up to that's not their parents. They asked me about different special situations and if I would be comfortable with having a sibling in those, and I declined. Without having full confidence right then how I would handle different situations like that, I wasn't wanting to take a chance. They were completely okay with that; they asked that for a reason.

Upon my departure, I was told my wait to find a perfect match could be as short as two weeks, but that's never guaranteed. They were on the look out for a girl between the ages of seven and fourteen, a tomboy but also kind of girly, a sports fan who also loves shopping, and an outgoing personality. I eagerly awaited a call or an email saying they found a potential match. My interview was in mid to late October, and it was during the week of Thanksgiving that I got my call saying they found Emma.

A thirteen year old tomboy who loves to shop and get her nails done, they described Emma as a very talkative, outgoing girl who loves to dance. Once they noticed her interest in dance, they thought of me right away. I got the call saying she was willing to meet me, so I set up a time to meet with her and a Relationship Specialist as soon as I got back from Thanksgiving break.

I met with my Relationship Specialist on November 30, 2015 and together we went and met up with Emma and her family. I could tell she was super excited to meet me but was trying to contain her excitement. I was overfilled with joy knowing that someone was so excited to meet me and was already full of love for me when she barely knew me for a few minutes. That's the beauty about a mentorship; the bond is one that you can't replace, and it's beneficial for both the mentor and the mentee. I couldn't stay for long, but I made plans to see her later this week.

Since that day, I have grown with Emma, and I've noticed a tremendous growth and maturity in her as well. We enjoy Chinese food outings, walking around the mall or Hobby Lobby, hanging out with her sister and nephew, and watching copious amounts of Charlie Brown in my dorm room. There are times we struggled to meet up, but with good communication, we made things work. We celebrate our one year match in about a month, and that's a really exciting milestone for us. There was never a thought of dismissing the match after our minimum one year match, but it's amazing for both of us to look back and see the growth we both have gone through, together and apart. After being apart for the summer, I could quickly tell she carried herself in a different way, in a way that I try to carry myself. Knowing that I was being a positive example and role model to a teenager going through some tough years made me realize just how much I have changed her life and how she's changed mine.

Big Brothers Big Sisters constantly has young children on waiting lists, patiently waiting for that call saying that they have a match. I only had to wait a month, but others have to wait much longer. If you have any interest in changing the life of one young person, please consider contacting the Big Brothers Big Sisters office in your region. It's a minimum of a one year match, you can have sleepovers after being matched for six months, and you get a new little buddy to just hang out and be best friends with. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a wonderful plan to me.