TeamMates of the Month: Tracy and Anna

Giving and Gaining 

Anna discovered TeamMates when someone nominated her to be matched with a mentor.

“I was having a hard time with a situation my sister was going through,” Anna said. “My counselor recommended TeamMates. I decided to give it a try.”

Ready to answer that call for a mentor was Tracy, a former teacher at Anna’s current high school. However, they met in middle school. 

It was when they started working on a puzzle that Tracy felt their relationship deepen. 

“The puzzle was a good distractor, a good way to feel more comfortable.”

The chance to meet regularly with an adult who cares is something that matters to Anna. 

“The only other adult I can really have a conversation with is my mom. But, nobody else will come and talk to me like I do with Tracy.”

Tracy knows their relationship is a two-way street. She learns from Anna, who she describes as optimistic and adventurous. 

“Nothing ever seems to get her down. She might say, ‘This is happening, and it’s less than ideal,’ but she’s okay. When she went from middle school to high school, she wanted to explore!”

Anna credits Tracy with providing needed kindling for her adventurous spirit.

“If I need help, Tracy’s there. She gives me good advice for homework, questions about anything, even things at home. She always knows what to say.”

Tracy is moved by Anna’s strong endorsement. 

“Wow. That’s a lot. I didn’t know that.”

She wants to be there for Anna because she was given that gift. Anna has learned from Tracy not to give up.

“A lot of the things I would try, and think, ‘Well I don’t think I can because…’ And Tracy would say, ‘There’s a, b, c, and d you can also try.’ And I would try them and sometimes I would still fail but most of the time, those other ideas worked.”

The pair has discovered shared passions. When Anna decided to go out for cross country, she learned that Tracy had too. When Tracy talked about holiday decorating, Anna revealed that she loves decorating and has a little Christmas tree in her bedroom, just as Tracy did growing up.

Tracy knows what she would tell another adult thinking about becoming a TeamMate.

“If you’re looking for a way to make a difference one hour a week and benefit yourself, TeamMates is it.”

 

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

 

 

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