Growing Together: Rachel and Trinity

Growing Together: Rachel and Trinity

We have amazing kids in our program. They are smart, funny, creative, compassionate, helpful, hard workers; all the qualities adults like to see in kids. But they still need mentors. As one Big Brothers Big Sisters employee said, “We would all benefit from having a Big.”

Little Sister Trinity has always been a good kid. “She was so young when we were matched. I think she was seven and we’ve been matched 10 years,” said Big Sister Rachel. “She was adorable and fun. We went to get ice cream on our first outing. She was quiet but happy.”

But even great kids can benefit from outside guidance, as Trinity’s grandmother and guardian, Denise pointed out. “Kids can sometimes find it hard to talk to their parents,” said Denise. “But they need someone to talk to, someone they respect and can trust. If she has questions, I don’t want her only getting advice from her friends. I want her to be able to talk to someone I can feel good about.”

In 2015 Rachel entered the picture. “I got married and was feeling a lot of gratitude about life – especially reflecting on the people who have supported me in building my career, my family, and friends who are like family. So, I wanted to ‘give back’ in a way that honors the opportunities and meaningful connections that I’ve been lucky to have. Applying to Big Brothers Big Sisters was a great fit for this!”

The pair have gone all around Central Texas trying activities and new food. “Going out to eat is something we love. I enjoy exposing Trinity to foods she’s never tried before,” said Rachel. “We’ve gone to the Austin Zoo, done a lot of the touristy things around town, enjoyed BBBS events, movies at Alamo Drafthouse, art museums, the Natural History Museum, and science museums.”

“We’ve walked the UT campus,” said Rachel. “We participated in a Girls STEM Day that had a lot of activities on campus. Trinity is really good at math, and she wants to become a nurse.”

Trinity has enjoyed all the outings but especially the ones involving nature. “This summer we went to a wildlife center where they had scavenger hunts and nature exploration,” said Trinity. “Being matched has given me the chance to experience and explore more things than if I wasn’t. I really like to explore things.”

But it is the conversations they’ve had throughout their 10 years of being matched that both say have made the biggest impact. “Miss Rachel is really nice, and I love going out to different places with her,” said Trinity. “I’m able to talk to her about a lot of stuff. We talk about school and everything that is going on.”

Rachel highlights how these conversations have changed through the years as Trinity has become a young woman. “Being matched never felt like baby-sitting,” said Rachel. “From the beginning we could have conversations, but it’s been a gradual progression from when she was little to now being in high school. From relating my memories of being her age as a little kid to now talking to her almost like a peer. It is amazing the range of topics we discuss.”

These conversations have resulted in subtle changes in Trinity. Though Rachel downplays her influence, she sees small ways she has had an impact. “Maybe our conversations have helped her think about what is possible and helped her focus her efforts to pursue her lifelong interest in becoming a nurse,” said Rachel. “She’s also signed up to participate in organizations like French club, and an organization for students going into a medical profession. When I was in high school that was my strategy to round out my college application.”

The impact of their match was also evident to Rachel on one of their recent outings. “There was a recent BBBS career fair with different stations and college representatives,” said Rachel. “I was so proud seeing Trinity asking her questions, talking to people about her plans for the future. I loved seeing her confidence grow. It was a moment when I could see her stepping into her own as a person.”

“Overall, getting to ‘grow up’ with Trinity has been the most amazing experience,” said Rachel. “From going on an outing to Amy’s Ice Cream when she was a 2nd grader to going clothes shopping for her first internship as an incoming high school junior!”

Rachel has been impacted as well. “She reminds me of the importance of making time for what matters and for the relationships we care about. It grounds me,” said Rachel. “It’s been wonderful! We have such a family-like relationship. I see her as a family member. I want her in my life long-term. It’s cool to think about staying connected even beyond BBBS, to stay in touch for major moments in life. I want her to know I will always be there for her.”

“I’m getting emotional thinking about it,” said Rachel. “I care about her a lot.”

Trinity and Denise feel the same way. Trinity loves when Rachel shows her pictures of her one-year-old daughter. Denise recalls the week when she was very sick, and Rachel brought food to their house to help out. “She is part of our family,” said Denise.

It’s a perfect match for all involved. “It’s really rewarding and better than I ever imagined. I’m surprised at what a strong connection we’ve been able to build,” said Rachel. “I knew (being a Big) would be a cool experience, but the strength of our connection has been unexpected… in the best way possible.”