Match Stories

“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!

Want to change a life today? Click here to see the orientation and training schedule.

Meet Little Brother Jacory and Big Sister Jaclyn, who have been matched in our Community Based Mentoring Program since 2017! Jacory’s aunt signed him up for the program as she wanted him to have a stable and consistent role model. This match has built such a strong bond and continues to flourish! Over the years, Little J and Big J have had important discussions and lessons about responsibilities. (Most notably, they worked on taking care of a fish together.) Big J and Little J practice showing perspective, exercising patience, and learning how to identify feelings. If you were to ask Jacory what his favorite moment with his Big is, he wouldn’t be able to choose just one memory.

Jaclyn continues to remind her Little of the importance of making goals, so together they will continue tracking their goal progress, practicing mindfulness, and performing well in school (both socially and academically.) They love to explore the outdoors, participate in yoga in the woods, and walk along Tampa Bay’s beautiful beaches.

Out of the 2,124 matches we served in 2021, approximately 121 were matches comprised of a Big Sister and a Little Brother. This number moves up to 125 matches if we include Big Sisters who are matched with males and youth who identify as non-binary, genderqueer, or gender fluid. While we love our caring Big Sisters who step up to volunteer as a mentor for a Little Brother, we will always welcome more Big Brothers! However, our agency will match boys 10 years of age and younger with Big Sisters if the parent/guardian is open to a cross-gender match.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is proud to serve more than 2,400 youth in 9 counties across the greater Tampa Bay area and beyond. Join us as a defender of potential by becoming a mentor, or what we call a Big. It just takes 4-8 hours a month —  it’s about the time you spend, not the money.  Click here to see the virtual orientation schedule.

We are honored to welcome new Board Member (and longtime Big Sister) Abigail StClair! Abigail is an avid library advocate & enthusiast and has been matched with Kaylanie since 2017. Always a voracious reader, Abigail loved visiting the local library as a child and believes that libraries hold an essential place in every community, now more than ever. Thankfully, the breadth of services has expanded to match the unique needs of our ever-growing community. Here are her recommendations for making the best use of your library. You can grab a book and a seat, getting lost in a new page-turning adventure. Feeling a bit peckish? Take a cooking class! Borrow a book….or a science kit. Peruse the options listed by county:

Alachua County has some excellent and educational STEM kits that can be sent to your door.

The Coastal Region branch of Citrus County has a Nintendo Switch! MarioKart, anyone?

Hernando County has a wide array of music to discover, from underground artists to old favorites.

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative offers GoPro checkout if your Little is an aspiring director.

In Marion County, you and your Little can create art from a stone.

Pasco County Libraries offers Makerspaces as a launching pad to explore, learn, design, and experiment.

Pinellas Public Library Cooperative shares museum passes to gain access to Dunedin History Museum, Florida Holocaust Museum, Imagine Museum, The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, Leepa Rattner Museum of Art, Museum and the Tampa Bay History Center, and others.

Polk County Library Cooperative offers a great selection of e-reading options for kids.

Sumter County has a childrens’ catalog that efficiently offers book selections based on topic.

Big Brothers Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is proud to serve more than 2,400 youth in 9 counties across the greater Tampa Bay area and beyond. Join us as a defender of potential by becoming a mentor, or Big. It just takes 4-8 hours a month — consistency is key.  Click here to see the virtual orientation schedule.

Today, we are sharing the story of Big Andrew and Little Tyler. This Match celebrated its 7th Match Anniversary in September 2021! Andrew and Tyler are a great match and have enjoyed their time together. They started in the Site Based program at Mango Elementary and decided to move to the Community Based program about four years ago. This Match has sustained a very close bond despite Big Andrew moving out of the county. The guys typically get together once a month or once every other month, and when they do, they spend the entire day together. Recently, they went to a Bucs game, a Rays game, and out to eat. Tyler has recently gotten to try Greek food and Thai food and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Tyler doesn’t always like talking on the phone, so Andrew made a point to keep Tyler engaged in text messaging. Because of this, the Match maintained their relationship throughout the pandemic when they could not meet in person. Nowadays, any time they go on an outing, it’s like no time has passed at all.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is incredibly proud of this Match and how far they have come together. Tyler was shy and lacked confidence when this Match started together. He was not interested in school and just did what he needed to do to pass. Andrew has inspired Tyler to work hard and take pride in his work. Tyler indeed looked up to Andrew and was very proud of Andrew when his Big Brother took on the challenge of starting his law practice. As Tyler has grown up, he has become more focused, determined, and confident.

When the Match Support Specialist speaks with Andrew, they can hear the smile come through the phone! Andrew is proud of how far Tyler has arrived and is happy to know that Tyler is taking his future seriously now and working hard to plan. Andrew recently shared, “I feel like I am the Little Brother now!”

Tyler used only to give short replies to his Match Support Specialist. Now, he shares his life and Match updates for 30-45 minutes! Tyler is currently a junior in high school and has continuously set and tracked his plans and goals for the future. Tyler is highly interested in video game design and hopes to pursue that after he graduates high school. We’re excited to see what the future holds for him!