I’ve been matched with my buddy for almost a year and a half and every time I see him it's the highlight of my week. When I get to his house, he is always excited to see me and ready to go play outside. One of our favorite activities is making our own YouTube videos based on his favorite YouTuber, Dude Perfect. Most weeks he is ready with a video idea in mind and on our walk to the park he tells me exactly how the video should go. My buddy always says that one day Dude Perfect will make a video with us. I have loved being a part of AFK and being my buddy’s "second best friend" (Hopefully one day I’ll be number 1.) 🙂 Every week I get to see not only him grow but see myself grow as well. Although I am sad our mentorship will close soon, I am grateful I got the opportunity to be friends with my buddy.
Mentee Parent
Our son was thrilled to be matched with Nikesh in 2023. When he joined third grade in a new school, he was a little intimidated. But his strong bond with Nikesh provided emotional support and knowing that he had a meeting with Nikesh every weekend reassured him that he had a friend.
Our son always felt connected and deeply flattered by a "cool big kid" spending time with him. The role of mentor can provide a tremendous confidence boost for a kid who struggles socially with peers. Nikesh's enthusiasm also inspired our son to be interested in new topics and sports, like following the Mariners and joining little league.
All weekend, our son would ask "Will I see Nikesh? When? Yay!" They did so many things together: visiting playgrounds, playing catch, getting ice cream, and going to AFK events. Most memorably, Nikesh made a series of videos starring our son as a funny sports hero, which our son treasures and shows to his friends to this day.
Thank you so much to Nikesh for his generous spirit and all of the happiness he brought to our son. This year of fun and memories will always have a special place in his heart.
