MMP home page featured match story: Brandon and Dan, from Taunton Area School to Career (TASC) 
Mentee Brandon - who had thought about quitting school prior to joining TASC  - recently graduated from Taunton High School. At the end of last year's program, he thanked his mentor, Dan, at the Mentor Closing Breakfast:

“Most importantly, I want to thank (Dan) for being my mentor throughout this program. Not only has he been a great mentor to me, he has been like a big brother to me.

He has shown me so many possibilities for a successful future and that you have to put in as much effort and work as you possibly can to even have a chance at making your dreams come true.

I have learned that if you put everything you have into something you want, there is a really good chance that you will succeed. The first day I went out on a tour with my mentor, he taught me to never use the phrase, 'I can’t', and told me he would kick me out of the truck if I ever said that again.

He taught me how to present myself with confidence, with simple things like my appearance, eye contact and a firm handshake. 

Before I entered the Mentor Program, I honestly had no interest in going to college, and I really wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do with my life. Since this experience, I now know what I want to do when I am out of high school, and I now have strong feelings of going to college.  The Mentor Program was a very positive and amazing experience for me and has changed my outlook for future success.”  

Justin and Patrick, from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass/Metrowest
Justin, age 13, lives in Worcester and is in eigth grade. He and Patrick were matched in December 2008. The following is Patrick's description of how he became a mentor:

"I am an avid Red Sox fan and have been a card-carrying member of Red Sox Nation since that program started five years ago. I saw a Red Sox TV ad in 2008 and checked out the Red Sox mentoring program information on the Red Sox website.  I sent an e-mail through the site, and I was contacted by Mass Mentoring Partnership to determine my interest in mentoring.

...Eventually, I selected the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, in Worcester (BBBSCM), to explore and determine whether I would have the time and interest in volunteering.  I have had some friends in the past who were mentors in the program, so I was generally familiar with the concept. I also have had some interest in 'paying forward’ in honor of those who took care of me and my siblings during a difficult time when I was young.

I was contacted by BBBSCM, interviewed by a match counselor, received a background check, and then waited to be matched.  I met Justin and his mother in December 2008, and we decided to give it a try. Overall, it had taken five months for the process from initial contact to getting a match.

Early on, my wife and I went to a play in which Justin had a key role, so we quickly started to get an idea of his interests. We started going to sporting events (Red Sox, Worcester Sharks, Celtics), ice skated and sledded at Sturbridge Village and worked to clean brush at my property after the ice storm.  He has spent some time with my children and neighbors. We have some intense video game contests and no clear winner has emerged!

We try to make a commitment to spend some time together very week.  Justin is now evaluating options for high school.  We have learned a lot about each other and from each other and I believe we have both been enriched by the experience.  I’m grateful to his mother for enabling the relationship and to my family for accepting him in our activities."

SMILES/Big Friends Little Friends: Tony and Dominic