Getting to Know Big Sister Haritha, Little Sister Ariyah, and Mother Shicora
Little Sister Ariyah is holding BBBS Activity Ideas Sheet, and Big Sister Haritha is holding BBBS Big B sign
While Big Sister Haritha, Little Sister Ariyah, and Mother Shicora met in-person for the first time in July 2025, you would never know that they are just eight months into their mentorship journey.
Haritha recalled that she “wasn't sure what to expect the first time I met Ariyah. She was so shy at first, but before I knew it, she was planning a makeover for my hair and nails. We had planned to just grab ice cream for our first outing, but she was already asking for a playdate at my place. It was the most heartwarming thing ever, and it told me how much this friendship was going to mean to both of us.” For Shicora, “I just remember how kind and sweet she was! I also remember hearing all of the similarities between her and Ariyah and how well-spoken she was.” Ariyah’s memory of their first meeting was more task-focused – “I remember making crafts together! I was excited!”
Those initial impressions set the stage for Haritha’s and Ariyah’s bond to form a quick, genuine bond, exploring a variety of activities together. When asked about her favorite memory thus far, Haritha shared that it was “difficult to pick one, but I think it might be the cooking class we went to together at Loaves & Fishes. We've always enjoyed baking together, and it was fun to do this in a group setting.” For Ariyah, her favorite was “going to Five Below and checking things out.” She also enjoys “going to fun places, like the Virginia Discovery Museum” with her Big Sister.
“I wanted to become a Big for a lot of reasons. But the biggest one of all is knowing how much having a mentor has helped me, and I wanted to pay that forward and be the same for someone else,” shared Haritha. For her, “the small things are the ones that felt the most rewarding (about being a Big). She (Ariyah) went from being shy to even requesting a song in the car to feeling comfortable with loudly singing along with me, from not wanting to do anything other than what I suggested to grabbing my hand and literally pulling me towards where she wanted to go. I think seeing her open up and be more herself around me and seeing the shift in trust is the most rewarding thing so far. It feels good.” When reflecting on Aariyah’s impact on her life, Haritha expressed that “she gives me a chance to be a kid myself when we do goofy things. It's nice to be able to stop being an adult who has to have everything figured out and just live in the moment doing whatever makes us the happiest.” For those considering becoming a Big, Haritha says they should “absolutely go for it.”
“Nice. Kind. Respectful.” Those are the three words now seven-year-old Ariyah uses to describe Haritha. Her Big Sister’s friendship and support mean so much to her. She looks forward to “talking together, making plans, and going to lots of different places.”
When pondering how Haritha has made an impact on Ariyah and their family, Shicora shared, “It's been great! Ariyah looks forward to seeing Haritha. I work a lot and don't always have the time to take Ariyah to all the fun things. It's nice for her to be able to have that time with Haritha.” Asked what Ariyah enjoys most about having a Big, Shicora thinks “Ariyah would probably say getting to go new places!” for families considering pursuing a Match for their child(ren), Shicora encouraged them to “go for it! BBBS does a great job emphasizing child safety and checking in to make sure the Match is enjoying their time together.”
We can’t wait to see where Big Sister Haritha’s, Little Sister Ariyah’s, and Mother Shicora’s journey together takes them. And we’re looking forward to many more stories and pictures along the way!
