Meet Ruby and Jackie!
The story begins when Ruby began an internship in a local school as a requirement for a college course. During this time, she developed a special relationship with a student, Jackie! Given Ruby’s prior experiences in mentoring, she approached the BBBS Match Support Specialist requesting she be matched and have Jackie as her Little Sister. The rest is history! Ruby and Jackie’s relationship gets stronger as time goes by. Ruby’s commitment to serving as a Big Sister is exemplary. She believes the success of the match really lies in the hands of the mentor. She feels it is her duty to establish an environment for Jackie that embodies trust, honesty, punctuality, and intentionality. With COVID restrictions, Ruby and Jackie’s relationship strengthened as phone calls and FaceTiming came more frequently. Jackie reaches out to Ruby when she has questions about schoolwork, family, and friendships. Ruby shares that she hopes to be a positive role model for Jackie, guiding her through school and life choices.
Jackie’s turn: “What’s been your favorite part of being matched to Ruby?”
“Ruby helps me a lot. When I have questions, she knows exactly how to explain things so that I can understand better. I see Ruby as a true friend, she doesn’t act like she’s doing a job for me. If I did not have her to lean on, I honestly would feel like no one cares. I really look up to her, but she makes me feel like it goes both ways.”