When Sneha, a software developer in the Bay Area, first met her Little Sister, Samantha, just over a year ago, she saw a reflection of her younger self: quiet, soft-spoken, and reserved. But Sneha knew that with the right mentor, an introverted girl could become a fearless leader.
Sneha’s commitment to mentorship is deeply personal. She grew up in Canada, she was a Little herself in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program from 7th to 11th grade. Interested in STEM at a time when few girls were encouraged to enter the field, her mentors provided motivation and technical resources that helped her nurture a career path that would’ve been intimidating otherwise.
“Because of programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters, I was able to nurture a career path and an interest that otherwise might have scared me off,” Sneha explains.
Sneha’s own mentors helped her overcome shyness, and today she’s paying that gift forward as a Big Sister and a software developer. Her match with Samantha began with the search for common ground. They initially connected over a shared love for reading and writing, specifically bonding over the Twilight series. To build a foundation of safety and comfort, Sneha turned to her ‘love language’: food!
One of their favorite meeting spots became a pozole spot that was familiar to Samantha in South San Francisco. This strategy of using food to encourage open-mindedness “worked like a charm,” as Sneha mentions. Samantha has transitioned from needing encouragement to independently researching menus for their outings, including Burmese, Italian, and Thai cuisines, as a way to conquer fear.
Sneha likes to use every activity to help Samantha broaden her horizons. One of their most impactful memories was attending Samantha’s first concert at Oracle Park to see Kendrick Lamar and SZA. Despite being nervous about the massive crowds, Samantha was gradually guided through the experience by Sneha until she was bobbing her head and dancing along.
“She’s fearless in the awesomest way,” Sneha says. “She talks about when she’s not sure about something… we find ways and then as soon as she’s ready, we do it and she just crosses everything with flying colors”.
For Sneha, the relationship is a two-way street. She believes that mentors, especially mentors of color, should know that the experience is just as rewarding for the Big.
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