I’ve been an Athletes for Kids mentor since the beginning of my sophomore year. I heard of the program through my older brother’s friend. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I can truly say that it is one of the best experiences that came out of my high school years.
Every time I meet with my buddy, I know we are going to have a great time. From baking to board games, we always find something creative to do. This year, we started a tradition for every holiday, we decorate my car window with festive drawings; we decorated it for fall and winter so far! I’m excited to see whatever artistic creations we think of next.
Throughout this mentorship, I’ve learned so much, my buddy has taught me kindness, resilience, and perspective. Not only that, but I’ve gained a true friend. Mentoring my buddy is something I truly look forward to every week. She is someone who genuinely cares about everyone she meets and impacts them positively. I’m excited for our next hangout to see what we do because I know we’ll have fun!
Mentee Parent
I cannot even begin to express how amazing it has been to have Molly as my daughter’s mentor for almost three years now. Her face lights up when Molly comes over, and she is sad when she doesn’t see her. Molly has stood by my daughter, even when she wasn’t able to express her emotions in positive ways and would tell her to go away. Molly kept coming back, something I wouldn’t have been able to do at her age.
By consistently showing up and working with me, Molly was flexible and adaptive at meeting the needs of my daughter. She has learned how to be a better friend and is more confident because Molly has modeled that behavior for her. Molly has thought of fun games for the two of them to play, and will also just sit there and be present, even if she isn’t up for playing and needs space to decompress, which is thankfully rarer now!
I’m continuously amazed by Molly’s maturity, responsibility, flexibility, kindness, thoughtfulness, and curiosity. I hope that Molly continues to be part of my daughter’s life after the AFK program. I would be delighted to have such a wonderful woman as a part of her circle of trusted friends and models of how to grow into a wonderful teen and young adult.
I am so grateful that Molly decided to be part of Athletes for Kids and dedicate her time to my daughter. She has made a difference in her life!