Study Buddies are More than Just Tutors

Mentoring means more than just tutoring; mentoring means being close with someone and while helping them grow. During the three years that Brenda and her Little Sister Sukhmani have been matched, they have bonded, become great friends and discovered new things about themselves all while having fun and helping each other grow.

Brenda has always enjoyed tutoring so when the idea of becoming a Big Sister came to her, she jumped at the chance. “I have always enjoyed teaching and being around young people, so [this] was the right program for me”, she writes.

At the same time that Brenda was searching for a Little Sister, Sukhmani needed someone to help her not only with school work, but to also with confidence issues. Knowing the needs and wants of both sides, Big Sisters saw potential in Brenda and Sukhmani as a pair and they were matched!

For Brenda, the match meant having the opportunity to help Sukhmani grow out of her shyness and become a confident young woman. Brenda notes that when she started meeting with Sukhmani regularly, Sukhmani “developed a lot of confidence in herself and became more outgoing”. Brenda felt very proud of her Little Sister and overall very satisfied as a result of being a Big Sister.

For Sukhmani , becoming a Little Sister meant having someone to “go to” when she needed help. Sukhmani describes her Big as “not only a tutor, but also a friend” that helped her be more confident at school and succeed as a student. Sukhmani sees her Big as someone that she can always talk to if she is ever struggling with school or “anything else”; for Sukhmani , her Big is someone to rely on and get help and support from.

The admiration Sukhmani and Brenda feel towards each other shows that mentoring means more than just tutoring; it means becoming close with someone and caring about that person. Sukhmani notes that Brenda is someone “super nice and easy to talk to,” expressing her appreciation for her. Similarly, Brenda sees Sukhmani as a joyful girl who is “always happy and lively and eager to go on outings with me”. It is clear that both Big and Little see their relationship as something that goes beyond a professional relationship; they see their relationship as something meaningful and personal.

Apart from making Bigs and Littles feel all warm and fuzzy inside, mentoring makes a real difference in both Bigs’ and Littles’ lives. Littles gain confidence in themselves, become better students and make a friend that will always be there for them. In return, Bigs get to see life from a fresh and younger perspective and feel satisfied when they see their Littles reach their objectives and become more self-confident. When we look at testimonials from matches, it becomes obvious that mentoring has an impact on both Bigs and Littles, helping both of them grow while developing a strong bond with one another.