Kenya signed up her daughter, Kaiya, for Big Brothers Big Sisters hoping to fill the void that was left from the absence of her father. For the past two years, Big Sister Maureen has done just that.
Kenya tells us the Big and Little have been a great match from the start. “They connected almost instantly. Kaiya and Maureen are very similar; it’s almost as if they are mirror images of one another! Both have similar interests in things such as painting, helping others, having fun, generating a plan and most importantly carrying the plan out.”
Another activity this mentoring match has explored together is baking. Little Sister Kaiya shared cookies baked from scratch with her Big Sister when they first met in 2011. Now, Kaiya has expanded on her love of baking and recently started her own cupcake business in which she sells decorated cupcakes for events to family and friends. Her business cards list her job as “Baketress & Diva.” Kaiya told us she feels this title is “age appropriate, yet sophisticated.”
Kaiya says her Big Sister Maureen is “amazing, easy to talk to, and supportive,” and shared that “Maureen is there for me when I need her, just like a real sister.” Kaiya values their relationship so much, she told us: “I would definitely become a Big. I hope that one day I can show the same support and respect that Maureen shows me to another kid.”
