Big Sisters of the Year

BIG SISTER OF THE YEAR TAIOMI CRUZ-RAMIREZ

Although tAiomi hAs been A big sister for six

yeArs, her relationship with our organization goes back much further. Not only is she one of our former Match Support Specialists, but she was also a Little Sister as a girl growing up in Boston. “I knew the mission and loved it, and that’s why I wanted to work at Big Sister,” said Taiomi. “I had a ton of mentors who really helped me through life,” she said. “I realized how important it was to have a strong, powerful adult in your life that’s just there to support you specifically. I know what the outcome is of having a supportive adult in your life, which is why I wanted to become a Big Sister.”

Despite having made countless matches during her time at Big Sister, Taiomi was still nervous to become one herself. “I was nervous about our compatibility. I didn’t want to let her down. I worried if she would have fun,” said Taiomi. However, once she came to know eight-year-old Mia, she relaxed a bit: “She really was like a mini-me!”

Mia was nervous, too. Her mom enrolled her with Big Sister Boston because she felt her daughter needed some one-on-one time with a caring adult, and to try new activities. Mia wasn’t sure what a Big Sister was or what it would be like to go out with a stranger, but her fears were soon gone. Mia was thrilled when the Big Sister who walked through the door looked like her, and excited when Taiomi took her out for ice cream so they could get to know each other! “My life before Taiomi was me usually being stuck at home. Every day it was school-home-school-home,” said Mia. “My mom is pretty strict and wouldn’t let me go out much. I didn’t know half of Boston before I met Taiomi!”

Early on, their relationship was mostly activity-based. They loved trying new places to eat and new foods (Mia had never eaten frozen yogurt before). They painted pottery, went to SkyZone and Canobie Lake Park. They loved going to Taiomi’s house to play with her dog and make cupcakes. All the while, Mia shared more and more about her life, and she and Taiomi developed a deeper, trusting bond. When Taiomi took Mia to her house for the first time to meet her mom and her dog, Mia realized how close they were and felt honored to be introduced to her Big Sister’s family.

Most of all, Mia cherished her time with her Big Sister. The oldest of three sisters, and eventually a little brother, Mia was constantly surrounded by her siblings. “My household is crazy, lots of kids and family stress,” said Mia. “When I’m with Taiomi there’s not a lot of kids screaming; it’s quiet, I can talk to her.” Mia shares a room with her two sisters and has little privacy or alone time. “Mia always says how it’s nice to be out with just me. It was a big thing for her to have her own time,” said Taiomi. These days the two spend their time together sharing stories, problem solving challenges in Mia’s life, and planning Mia’s upcoming

Quinceañera. Having gone through her own Quinceañera, Taiomi has proven to be a great source of advice and guidance for Mia.

Despite changes in her life over the past six years, most notably getting married and becoming a mom to twin girls, Taiomi has remained committed to her relationship with Mia, who is now 14. “Oh, I love it,” said Taiomi of her time with Mia. “I feel like I’m with it, I can keep up with what’s going on in pop culture, but when I’m with Mia I’m like ‘oh, this is what’s happening?’ Mia keeps me young.”

“She’s always available to me,” said Mia of her Big Sister. Mia knows that any time she needs Taiomi, she’s only a phone call or a text away. My household is crazy, lots of kids and family stress. When I’m with Taiomi there’s not a lot of kids screaming; it’s quiet, I can talk to her.

BIG SISTER OF THE YEAR JULIE BOGDANSKI

if ever there wAs A wAtchword for A big And

little sister relAtionship, Julie and Joi’s would be “opportunity.” The pair have taken advantage of many opportunities with Big Sister Boston throughout their seven years together and each time their bond has grown and strengthened. Julie, a selfdescribed introvert, describes Joi, 17, as an extrovert who has pushed Julie outside of her comfort zone on more than one occasion: from dancing in a flash mob in front of a crowd at the Prudential Center to joining Joi on stage at large events like our annual Big in Boston gala.

At first, Julie was the one to help Joi step outside her comfort zone and try new activities, but it wasn’t easy. “I had to talk to my Match Support Specialist a lot for ideas of what to do,” said Julie. Then she would come up with a few options of activities they could do together. Joi was always up for a new adventure and Julie soon realized how trusting and courageous her Little Sister was for never backing down from a novel activity. One of their first visits involved getting free tickets from the Boston Public Library, for the Boston Islands Harbor Ferry then travelling out to Spectacle Island to enjoy a day on the beach and exploring nature. “I had no idea just how much I was challenging Joi by simply getting on a boat,” said Julie.

Over time, that trust between Joi and her Big Sister has only grown stronger. Although Joi, an only child who lives with her mom, wasn’t sure who this “stranger” was in her house when they first met, Julie soon went from stranger to sister. “I was nervous when I met her, but I got to know Julie over time and it became a bond that can never be broken,” said Joi. “I say ‘my sister’ when I talk about Julie because she’s like a sister. As we kept going out and trying new things, I realized that’s what a sister is supposed to do.”

The more new opportunities they tried, the more Joi’s confidence shone through. She never shied away from a chance to use her voice: from joining her school’s debate team to introducing Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton at Big in Boston in 2017. Most recently, with Julie’s encouragement, Joi joined Big Sister’s Junior Advisory Board, a support system and resource for Little Sisters where members seek to uplift their voices, and empower each other through courageous communication, self-love, wellness, and respect. She is the Board’s co-secretary. Joi is also part of the Our Big Futures program where she receives coaching and guidance from our dedicated staff about post-secondary options: college, careers, and scholarships. She is hoping to join a teacher cadet program that will allow her to work with kids while training to become a teacher.

As their relationship progressed, Julie and Joi relied less on activities to build trust and more on conversation. “Initially it felt like we’re hanging out, going on all these adventures together, both trying new things and building that relationship,” said Julie. “And then somewhere over the years, there was this magical moment where you feel like someone’s been in your life forever. Eventually, it just came to feel like Joi really is my sister.” They started a Friday night tradition of making tacos, watching movies, and just having “chill time” to check in with each other. When the height of the pandemic kept them physically apart and Joi — like so many girls — felt an acute sense of isolation, she knew she had a consistent friend in Julie. The two communicated regularly over the phone and Zoom chats. “She’s always there to support me. She’s always there at my lowest or if I’m having a moment; she’s always there to talk. Especially during Covid she was there when I was having ‘times’,” said Joi. “That’s a sister.” And then somewhere over the years, there was this magical moment where you feel like someone’s been in your life forever. Eventually, it just came to feel like Joi really is my sister.

BIG SISTER OF THE YEAR CLEO MUHAMMAD

hAving interned in big sister boston’s site-bAsed

mentoring progrAm while earning her graduate degree in social work, Cleo was no stranger to mentoring girls at school. “I had a great experience as an intern. I got to learn about the importance of mentoring girls, especially at younger ages,” said Cleo. Ultimately, Cleo went on to a career in workforce development, assisting adults in finding jobs, but she missed working with kids. She decided that becoming a Big Sister would connect her back to kids in her community and an organization that “has a very fond place in my heart.”

Cleo chose the Site-Based Mentoring program because meeting with a Little Sister at her school during the week was the best fit her schedule and gave her a break from being with adults everyday. She was matched with Little Sister Tiffany, then eight years-old, at the Josiah Quincy Elementary School in Boston. They first met in January 2020…barely two months before schools were shut down due to the pandemic.

When the schools did shut down, Big Sister Cleo took it in stride. Like so many of us in 2020, she pivoted. “There was a little bit of uncertainty at first about how this will work, how we will keep going,” said Cleo, but through the help of their Match Support Specialist, Cleo and Tiffany began meeting virtually.

Given the shutdowns, followed by restrictions on visitors in schools when the students returned, nearly all of Cleo and Tiffany’s relationship has been virtual. When she was unable to go to school, Tiffany said she was “relieved” that she still got to see Cleo over FaceTime and Google hangouts. She didn’t like not always getting to see her school friends who were in other classes because of the virtual class model. Over the phone and the computer, they tried many new and different activities together; some were hits, like bracelet making and online games of Pictionary and hangman. Other activities were misses, like trying to stream an animated movie about ants over a slow Internet connection or learning how to knit.

Through it all, they continued to meet regularly. They often started their virtual visits with activities to give Tiffany time to get comfortable with her new Big Sister. The conversation would come later and stem from the activities they did together. Tiffany appreciated that her Big Sister would ask her “daily questions” when they met: questions about how Tiffany’s day was, how school was going, and about her family and friends. Tiffany said that with friends her own age, the conversation was mostly geared toward online games. Cleo began to notice that after time, Tiffany would start their visits with conversation and became much more open and talkative with her. One time, Tiffany made a “decision wheel” that she brought to her virtual visit with Cleo. They used it often to decide what activities they would do that day.

When asked what makes her Big Sister great, Tiffany gives a simple, but meaningful answer: “Because she spends time with me.” Now that Cleo is able to visit Tiffany in-person at her school again, she plans to do spend as much time as she can doing just that. Cleo, too, appreciates their time together: “Being a Big Sister is a great experience,” she said. “If you’re in a world with mostly adults, it’s nice to be able to have a young person in your life so that you can see the world through their eyes and just spend time with them.”

If you’re in a world with mostly adults, it’s nice to be able to have a young person in your life so that you can see the world through their eyes and just spend time with them.