Match Stories

Big Sister Cheryl & Little Sister Destynee have been matched in our Community-based program since December 2016. They have grown close to each other over the duration of their match, and they have been a consistent support for each other through life’s transitions and trying times during the pandemic. Destynee views Cheryl as an important person in her life, and a safe person for her to speak to and spend time with. Cheryl describes Destynee as a social butterfly who likes to cheer up those around her!

They both enjoy bird watching and eating at IHOP and Denny’s. Destynee’s reading skills have improved; Cheryl noticed Destynee was able to read and play the activity games on IHOP’s children’s menu. Further strengthening Destynee’s reading skills, she started reading more books after realizing she could get a prize at the library for every book she reads. When Destynee and Cheryl cannot see each other in person, they video chat with one another. Destynee often uses that time to practice her YouTube influencer skills and shows Cheryl her evening routine activities.

Cheryl stays engaged with our agency and goes above and beyond in advocating for BBBS with other potential volunteers. Cheryl consistently and intentionally shows up for Destynee; their match is a great example of how mentoring can positively impact a young person’s life.

As we close out Hispanic Heritage Month, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay would like to share a note from one of our Match Support Specialists, Sergimar Henriquez. Our MSS team is key to the continued success of our youth mentoring programs. Sergimar shares:

“Little Brother Alexander and Big Sister Carmela have been matched for three years but, every time I check in, it seems like they have been matched for five years or even longer! When I first started working with them, Carmela explained that Alexander had only been in the US for 3 years and was struggling to acclimate to his new environment. Furthermore, Alexander’s family speaks only Spanish, adding yet another barrier to accessing certain spaces and resources.

“Thankfully, Carmela can truly relate to her Little because she also had to learn English when she started school in the US. This is a topic that also hits home for me. I struggled to learn English myself and took ESL courses throughout elementary and middle school; it is not easy or fun. (I was born in New York, but my family is Hispanic, and Spanish is the primary language spoken at home.) Alexander is steadily improving his English with the phone app Duolingo and of course, consistent help from his Big.

“Carmela shows Alexander it is crucial to learn English to succeed in school, but also highlights the importance of being bilingual — an asset for his future education and career. In addition to Spanish, Carmela helps Alexander with math concepts to ensure his overall academic success.

“Big Carmela goes above and beyond to help Alexander succeed by giving him positive encouragement, guiding him with his goals, and celebrating his accomplishments. I know Alexander and his family truly appreciate her tireless commitment to this Match. I am proud to serve as the duo’s Match Support Specialist and look forward to continuing to support them through their mentorship journey.”

If you would like to learn about becoming a volunteer Big with BBBS Tampa Bay, click here.

“People like Haley are the best representation of what it means to be a defender of potential,” says their Match Support Specialist.

This Pinellas-based Match features Big Sister Haley from our Match Enrollment department and her Little Sister, Haley. They are a fresh spring Match having been paired in April and already show great potential in the brief time they’ve been together. Dana is being raised by her maternal grandfather, Richard. Richard is a veteran and his absolute pride and joy is Dana. Sadly, he has several major health issues that prevent him from participating in everything he would like to. He decided that Dana should join the BBBS program so she could have a female role model in her life to inspire and guide her as well as be a source of support and advice. Dana is a sweet, friendly and kindhearted twelve-year-old who loves the water, animals, and anything creative as art is one of her favorite subjects. She is a hardworking student who excels academically and has dreams of being a doctor someday. Haley joined our agency last fall, is outgoing, and always has a smile on her face to welcome new Littles and Bigs. We are sure this new Match is meant to last!

Looking to make a positive impact in the life of a child in your county as a Big Sister, Big Brother or Big Sibling? Have questions about mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay? Click here to see the no-pressure FAQ session schedule.

This heartwarming match story is brought to you by our friends at the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County.

Big Sister Deb and Little Sister Yoslayna have been matched for about one quarter, but they have both dove headfirst into their match! Deb and Yoslayna get together every other weekend and Yoslayna says they have a lot in common, as they both enjoying drawing and going on fun adventures. Deb and Yoslayna are both creative individuals and always incorporate art and creativity into their outings. You can find them making slime, tie dying, or painting landscape across county parks. Other activities the match enjoys include going to the beach, bowling, and reading the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books. Deb and Yoslayna are also working on creating a memory book filled with pictures, momentos, and journal entries from their outings. One of Yoslayna’s goals is to be more decisive. Deb says Yoslayna has been using TikTok and YouTube to give her ideas for activities that the two of them can complete together. The duo tie dyes t-shirts, socks, scrunchies, and even shoelaces!

Deb says her favorite thing about being a Big Sister is the ability to escape the chaos of her own life and focus all of her energy into making sure Yoslayna is having fun and learning. Deb incorporates natural environment teaching and learning into her outings with Yoslayna. When they made slime Deb talked to Yoslayna about the different scents, colors, and textures they created. Deb works on Yoslayna’s reading and critical thinking skills by having her read the instructions for and prepare the crafts they do together. Deb also chats with Yoslayna about her grades and school attendance, instilling a sense of responsibility and self-efficacy into their outings.

Yoslayna says her Big is always telling her jokes to make her laugh. Deb says it’s remarkable how thoughtful her Little Sister is; Yoslayna knows the birthdays of everyone in her family and is a known as phenomenal gift giver. Deb always gushes about how sweet Yoslayna is and how lucky her family is to have her in their lives. Deb says she feels lucky to have Yoslayna in her life too.

Looking to make a positive impact in the life of a child in your county as a Big Sister, Big Brother or Big Sibling? Have questions about mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay? Click here to see the no-pressure FAQ session schedule.

Our team worked hard to create a partnership with the I AM MORE Foundation and several of our Matches were able to join a VIP opportunity at St. Petersburg College. This special event allowed Matches to visit with Nathan Gamble, and Austin Highsmith, the stars from The Dolphin Tale 1 & 2 movie series. There were other guest speakers in attendance as well, such as former Clearwater Marine Aquarium CEO, David Yates and a film producer from the movie. The Matches were also able to listen to a Q & A and learned tips on acting, public speaking, and improv. They ended the day with an inspirational message to learn to overcome and stay strong through any obstacles or challenges they face in life. Sasha, Big Sister to Mahala shared some feedback from the event:

Sasha shared, “It was wonderful. Nathan Gamble was very sweet, down-to-earth, and engaging. He played two interactive games with everyone which really broke the ice and had the children tapping into their creative side.  Nathan, David, and Austin then did a Q&A session where they engaged, once again, with the audience and told wonderful, heartwarming stories about the dolphin Winter and how she was an inspiration to many. Mahala and I saw Winter in November of 2019 as her reward for meeting our goals that year.  She was in awe that she had the opportunity to meet and talk to the actors that swam with Winter.  On the way home from the event, we talked about overcoming fears and adversities to achieve greatness. Not only that it is possible with courage, strength, and loving support but that it inspires others.”

We are so happy that Sasha and her Little had this wonderful opportunity together. The top image is from their 2019 Match Outing at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the second picture is from the special event when they met the actors from the movie. Thank you to our team and community partners for making this special moment happen!

Big Sister Sarah and Little Brother Dashaun “Dino” have been matched in the program since January of 2013 and just celebrated year 9 of being matched, all while continuing to see each other on a consistent basis. The connection between these two has been very strong and positive on both ends from the beginning up until now. Throughout the match, Sarah has made it her business to help Dino with anything he needs help with, which has usually been math. Sarah is part of a tutoring company that she and her family operate, and through that has been tutoring Dino with his math for years. In the past year, Sarah was able to stop tutoring Dino in math because of how well he has been doing on his own. Regardless, Sarah continues to make herself available to Dino with whatever help he may need in school as he progresses to the next grade level.

Dino and Sarah are movie fanatics and enjoy spending most of their outings seeing the latest films to hit theaters. Most recently, the pair enjoyed watching the new Spiderman flick. For Sarah’s birthday, Dino decided to take her out for dinner at Chili’s and covered the full bill, tip and all! While on their outings, Dino always makes it a point to joke around with Sarah about how he is the big brother, and she is the little sister because of how much taller he is than her now. Dino has also started driving, so now he takes himself to meet up with Sarah from time to time for their outings. Dino is on the football team at his school and Sarah makes sure that she comes out to support him during games when she can. This is something that Dino has also pegged as being something he would like to do as a career, so she always reminds him that he is capable. These two have truly developed a strong brother-sister friendship, so much so that Dino was in the holiday photoshoot with Sarah and her family! Sarah, Dino, and Dino’s mother are grateful for the agency and the impact it has had on everyone involved. This is definitely a match that will continue to thrive years and years from now and beyond!

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