Match Profile: Monet and Sania

Date: January 12, 2021

Big Sister Monet and Little Sister Sania have been matched for over three years! When we first paired them, we thought their mutual interests in crafts and spending time with family and friends would be a great fit. They have done a variety of fun outings and activities together such as Kid Workshops at Home Depot, arts and crafts projects, cooking and baking, playing games, feeding ducks at the local park, and enjoying each other's company over meals at their favorite spots. Throughout Monet and Sania’s match, they have been working to improve Sania’s math skills as well as helping her feel a sense of accomplishment by completing the projects that they start together.

Before COVID, Monet and Sania would often communicate over phone calls when they did not have the opportunity to see each other in person. So, when matches had to transition to virtual meetings, the pair was able to seamlessly add messaging and video chats on top of their phone calls to stay in touch. One of their most recent outings including a visit to a pet store where Monet helped her Little Sister pick out a hamster that she has named Snowball.

During a recent match meeting, Big Sister Monet spoke about how much her friendship with Sania has changed since they first met. She shared, “Sania is very open with me now compared to when we were first matched and she was shyer and more reserved. Being matched with Sania has been such a fun experience for me and we mesh together very well!” Sania’s mother shared with us how happy she has been with the match and that how pre-COVID, “Monet [did] a great job keeping Sania active and engaged.” Sania spoke highly of Monet and shared about how much she cares for her and loves spending time with her. Sania stated, “My favorite thing is when we get to spend time together and get to cook together.”

Monet feels that she has benefited immensely since becoming a mentor and has enjoyed watching Sania grow and change over the years. She shared. “I've been able to watch Sania grow and open up in the last couple of years. I'm happy to be able to continue to see her grow into a wonderfully creative young lady. She's reminds me to enjoy the little things. Being a Big Sister has also helped me to come out of my comfort zone and try new things. This has definitely been an enjoyable experience.”