I joined Athletes for Kids in my freshman year after a coach encouraged me to get involved, starting out by volunteering at different AFK events. At the time, I didn’t realize the program would lead to the most meaningful relationship of my high school experience.
When I began my mentorship in my sophomore year, my buddy and I took the time to get to know each other. She was shy and hesitant to engage in conversation, so we focused on creating a calm, supportive space where she could feel comfortable at her own pace. We spent our first few meetings playing games at home and visiting her favorite stores, slowly building trust. Over time, I began to see quiet but powerful changes. She started initiating conversations, trying new activities, and approaching unfamiliar situations with growing confidence.
Now, our time together includes getting boba, doing science experiments, and hanging out at the mall, all moments that reflect how far she has come and how strong our bond has become. Being her mentor has taught me that meaningful change doesn’t come from grand gestures, but from patience, reliability, and simply showing up, even in the smallest moments.
Mentee Parent
As a mom of a child with special needs, one of my biggest hopes is to surround my daughter with people who love her exactly for who she is. My daughter is a big-energy, impulsive child who doesn’t always make things easy — especially in social situations. Autism, ADHD, and developmental delays have made it difficult to make and keep friends.
We joined Athletes for Kids hoping a mentor relationship could help build her emotional intelligence and social skills in a way that she felt supportive and genuine. From the start, Chloe has been reliable, mature, calm, patient, and completely unfazed by my daughter being who she is. Chole meets her where she is and somehow manages to keep things both structured and fun. She looks forward to seeing Chloe, talks about her often, and after they spend time together, she’s visibly happier, more regulated, and immediately asking when they can hang out again.
Chloe’s family has also been incredibly welcoming, opening their home to our daughter for board game days, Taylor Swift watch sessions, and efforts at baking, all activities she loves. This relationship has been a gift to our family.
As Chloe heads off to college next year, we hope to stay in contact and keep this special connection going. We feel so fortunate to have her in our daughter’s life.