When Little Sister Itzel was matched with her Big Sister Amanda almost seven years ago, her mom Yessenia hoped for one thing: a caring adult, outside their family, who could spend intentional one-on-one time focused entirely on her daughter.
“She’s my only girl,” Yessenia shared. “With three boys, I wanted someone who could make it about her—someone she could talk to and feel supported by.”
What began as a one‑year commitment through Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley became a relationship that transformed a child’s confidence, strengthened a family, and proved the power of long-term mentorship. Successful matches like these happen because of you, our donor.
Growing Through Every Stage
Their match began before COVID, with early outings like mini golf, bowling, ice cream trips, and BBBSLV match activities. Over time, their relationship grew alongside Itzel herself.
When the pandemic paused in-person visits, their bond didn’t stop. “There were a lot of FaceTimes and even some TikTok dances,” Aamanda laughed. “But the connection was always there.”
That consistency mattered—especially as Itzel navigated middle school and the pressures that come with growing up. “I used to worry a lot about what people thought of me,” Itzel said. “Amanda helped me stop letting other people control how I feel—and helped me talk about what was really going on.”
Amanda became a trusted sounding board—a safe space where Itzel could process friendships, school challenges, and emotions with someone who listened without judgment.
A True Team
For Itzel’s mom Yessenia, the relationship became more than mentorship.
“We’re a team,” she said. “There are things kids don’t always tell their parents. Amanda helps me see things from another perspective, and sometimes she’ll check in to be sure I’m aware of something important. That support has been incredible.”
She credits Amanda with reinforcing lessons about confidence, focus, and decision-making—especially during challenging moments. “I’m so grateful,” she shared. “She’s helped my daughter grow into a strong, confident young woman.”
Becoming Who She Was Meant to Be
Amanda is quick to say the growth came from within. “She’s always had these amazing qualities,” Amanda said. “I just help reflect them back to her.”
That reflection made a lasting impact.
“I think my life would be very different without her,” Itzel said emotionally. “I might keep making the same mistakes. I might keep everything inside. She helps me talk things through before they feel too overwhelming.”
Her mom has seen the change clearly. “She used to doubt herself,” she said. “Now she’s confident, outspoken, and strong. She’s grown so much over these years.”
From Match to Family
One moment defines their bond: when Amanda became a mom.
“She invited us to her baby shower,” Itzel’s mom recalled. “Everyone welcomed us. They called Itzelher little sister. We didn’t feel like guests—we felt like family.”
That feeling never faded. Baking cookies, catching up over meals, spending time in Amanda’s home—this match became woven into both families’ lives.
“It doesn’t feel like volunteering,” Amanda said. “She’s become one of my best friends.”
Impact That Carries Forward — and Why Support Matters
Now, after six and a half years, Itzel is looking toward her future with confidence. She’s exploring a career in the beauty industry, visiting schools alongside Amanda, and even considering becoming a High School Big herself.
“I want someone to look up to me,” she said.
For Amanda, that moment represents the true power of mentorship. “That’s the ripple effect,” she shared. “One relationship sparks confidence, growth, and the desire to give back.”
Stories like this are only possible if Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley has the resources to carefully match, support, and sustain long-term mentoring relationships. While the commitment between a Big and Little is personal, the wraparound support that makes these matches successful — recruitment, background screening, training, ongoing guidance, and enrichment activities — requires ongoing investment.
Your financial support helps ensure that children in our community are not just matched, but supported for the long haul — through childhood, adolescence, and all the transitions life brings.
Sometimes, one caring adult can change a life.
But it takes an entire community investing together to make stories like this possible across the Lehigh Valley.