Big Sister Emily and Little Sister Miraeya
Meet Big Sister Emily and Little Sister Miraeya, who have been matched for 2 years now!
Emily and Miraeya first met in February 2024 through the School Buddies program in Kosciusko County before transferring to the Community-based program last year.
Before being convinced to join by Tammy Smith, Emily had already been considering giving her time to a program to work with youth in the community. After she switched to teaching online school and since her nieces and nephews are now older, there were fewer opportunities to interact with kids in her life.
The teacher recognized the merit of this kind of program from her time in the classroom. Many children could benefit from an extra adult to give them attention, along with teaching them new things and showing them what’s out in the world. She also thought about the benefits to parents, who may not have time to take their kids to all the things they want to go to because of work. Emily realized she had the time and ability to be an extra adult supporter for a child.
After coming across an enrollment form at a booth, Miraeya’s mom signed her daughter up for a School Buddy to give her someone to consult during the school year. It seemed like a good way to give her a support group outside of the family, someone to encourage her daughter to engage socially, too. She didn’t think much about the program until it surprised her by continuing the next school year. This is when she started taking notice of its effect on her daughter.
The elementary schooler would come home and talk about seeing Emily, and her School Buddy became a “regular part of her life.” Miraeya’s mom knew that even when school was tough for Miraeya, at least she had Emily there once a week to talk to and take a break from everything. After their first year, the two continued their mentorship through the Community-based program.
“I was kinda shy at the beginning, but now that I’ve been spending more time with her, I've been getting excited and happy from all the adventures we're doing,” said Miraeya.
Emily and Miraeya’s active and outdoorsy personalities are perfectly matched, giving them lots of ideas for things to do together. And that’s not the only thing they have in common, explained Miraeya; they also share a birthday! The two go to the YMCA to work out, with the energetic Little’s favorite gym machine being the stair-stepper (a nightmare for most adults, Emily jokes). The two also hit the trails, walking through the woods or riding their bikes around town. Emily loves having a “little partner” who wants to be outside just as much as she does.
The story walk in their local park combines their love of reading and being outdoors. Miraeya enjoys reading cartoon books and sometimes chapter books, too. Her mentor encourages this love of reading by helping Miraeya complete the summer reading program.
In fact, when asked what she has learned from her Big Sister, Miraeya said, “To keep reading a lot, and to always make friends… And keep reading a lot.”
That’s how important it is; Miraeya listed it twice for good measure!
On top of that, Emily and Miraeya have roller-skated and bowled together. They also do arts and crafts, paint, and create to their hearts’ content! No matter what it is they do, Miraeya knows she’ll have a good time with her “fun, happy, and exciting” Big Sister.
“She's fun to do stuff with, and she always surprises me with stuff that makes me excited,” said Miraeya.
Emily admires her Little Sister’s confidence and the funny insights one can only get from a nine-year-old, like Miraeya wondering whether all teachers know each other. Beyond just getting to hang out with a fun kid, Emily finds that mentorship gives her a greater sense of purpose and helps her feel more involved with where she lives.
“I’ve lived here like eight or nine years…Knowing that I'm involved in the organization and there's a kid in town that I'm connected to, it has made me feel more connected to my community because of her,” explained Emily.
Be Big!
Mentorship brings learning opportunities but also fun memories. If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity to let you get more involved in your city, look no further.
“You get the sense that you're part of something bigger and that you can just make a difference for one kid and be important for one kid. And there’s the possibility that you could change the trajectory of their life for the better, even in just a little, tiny way,” said Emily.
“To get a Big Sister or Big Brother, it's always fun to do stuff with them, and to learn new things with them, too,” said Miraeya.
Take the next step to joining Big Brothers Big Sisters by visiting www.bbbsnei.org or calling 260-456-1600.
