TeamMates of the Month: Christine & Sara

October 3, 2023

A Positive Pairing

When Christine met her sixth-grade mentee Sara in November of 2020, they had to use their imaginations; their faces were masked.

It would be more than a year before what Sara called their “face reveal.” 

“I think both of us were like, ‘That’s not what I thought you were going to look like!’” Christine said.

Walking side by side around the school when the weather was nice made a great way to get to know each other. Christine discovered their age difference mattered very little.

“I think the biggest thing that has surprised me and continues to surprise me, is that we have so many things in common.”

Sara agrees.

“I was just about to say that. We just kept talking and talking and we’d say, ‘Me too!’ We talk about things and they just click.” 

They learn from each other, sometimes through books. Early on, Sara shared her love of Japanese graphic novels.

“The characters face a lot of struggles but they always, in the end, get through it,” Sara said.

Since Christine is a writer, they picked out a graphic novel to read together starring a strong character who liked to draw. Sara liked it so much she got her own copy.

“Sara is game to try anything, to talk about anything,” Christine said. “She can see there’s more than one way to look at something. I’m learning from her all the time!”

Sara is clear what she gains from her friendship with Christine. 

“I think when I’m with you I learn stuff I will carry on for the rest of my life. You always see the good in stuff. You’re always very positive and that’s a quality that a lot of people need.”

Christine credits Sara for keeping life in perspective. 

“The morning I got the call from the doctor’s office about my cancer diagnosis, there was one thing I was certain of: ‘It’s my morning to meet with Sara and I’m going.’ It wasn’t to comfort myself, it was more like, this is part of life too. We didn’t talk about my diagnosis. We just talked like always.”

They started a list last summer of all the things they plan to do and see together after Sara graduates from high school. They’ll keep filling it, because Sara says, they will “definitely” be friends after graduation. 

 

You can learn more about Lincoln TeamMates at https://lincolnteammates.org/.

 

 

---