Some relationships begin quietly.
For Kylee and Katie, it began with a phone call, a shy smile, and a drive home that would become one of the first of many memories together.
Kylee was only 21 when she decided to become a mentor. She had recently left her Early Childhood Education program after realizing it was not the right path for her, but she still knew one thing for certain: she wanted to help kids in some way.
Her older sister had grown up with a Big and had a really positive experience. So when Kylee learned about the opportunity to become a mentor, it felt like something worth trying.
Katie was eight years old at the time.
As she puts it, “I think my mom kind of chose.” She remembers little pieces of the process, a few interviews, and being excited, even though she was shy.
Kylee remembers their first meeting clearly.
“I remember getting the phone call to say that they found a match for my little,” Kylee shared.
“So I went to the office to pick up Katie and she was sitting on the couch hiding behind her mom with a very shy adorable smile.”
That day, they went back to Kylee ’s house and did arts and crafts. Katie met Kylee ’s mom. And when it was time for Kylee to drive her home, that shy little girl suddenly became very confident.
“When it was time to bring her home, she was very confident and giving me full directions from my house in downtown Niagara Falls all the way to her house in Chippawa,” Kylee said. “And she gave me perfect directions which would prove to be very helpful for the future of our sisterhood because I am horrible with directions.”
Katie remembers that part too.
“I do remember giving her directions on the way home,” she said. “I’ve always just been really good with that.”
It is a small memory, but somehow it says so much. From the very beginning, their relationship was not just one person guiding the other. It was both of them finding their way together.
Over the next 13 years, Kylee and Katie built a bond through ordinary moments that became extraordinary simply because they shared them. Nights of arts and crafts. Movies. Laughter. School plays and musicals. Cadet parades. Graduations. Scholarships. Life milestones. Growing pains. Hard days. Big celebrations. Quiet support.
When asked to choose a favourite memory, neither of them really could.
“This was really hard for both of us to pick,” Kylee said. “We just have so many.”
For Kylee, one memory that stands out is the first time Katie told her she loved her.
“I would say like the one that stands out the most for me was when Katie said I love you for the first time because it was just the sweetest moment and I had to like hold myself together, not bawl my eyes out because I didn’t want to weird her out.”
A year later, Katie made Kylee a jar filled with 100 things she loved about her. This time, Kylee did cry.
For Katie, one unforgettable memory was going to see Taylor Swift together, something she described as “insane.”
But when she thinks about her favourite memories with Kylee , it is not just one big event that comes to mind. It is all of it.
“I don’t think I can pick just one because Kylee’s been there for everything,” Katie said. “I think any time that I’ve ever spent with Kylee is part of my favorite memories. Just a lot of nights of arts and crafts and movies and a lot, a lot of laughter and just so much fun. And I think that I will just cherish that forever.”
That is the quiet power of mentorship. It is not always about grand gestures. Often, it is about being there again and again, until a young person knows, without question, that they are loved, supported, and never alone.
Their relationship was not perfect because life is not perfect. Kylee was young when she became a mentor, and she is honest about the learning that came with that. She had to figure out how to communicate with a child during difficult emotional moments. She had to learn patience, understanding, and how to support Katie while also growing herself.
“I learned a lot about patience and understanding and how to help a kid when they’re dysregulated,” Kylee said. “And I think kind of together we developed ways that worked for coping.”
She also had to learn what it meant to be a mentor, not just a friend. That took time, care, and a lot of heart.
Katie, too, was growing through her own challenges. Looking back, she says Kylee helped her with her social anxiety.
“She’s always been my #1 fan,” Katie said. “And she’s always encouraged me.”
Thirteen years later, it is clear that their match changed both of their lives.
For Kylee, becoming Katie’s Big Sister is still one of the things she is proudest of.
“Any time that anyone asks me like you know, what was your greatest accomplishment or your best achievement, my answer is always becoming Katie’s big sister every time.”
Kylee says being Katie’s Big Sister gave her life perspective. During some of her hardest seasons, Katie became a reason to keep going, to keep trying, and to model resilience.
“Katie was always my main motivation for pushing myself through every most difficult time that life threw at me,” Kylee said. “I always had her in my mind reminding, you know, when I was really struggling to get myself back up, Katie was in the back of my head just kind of as that reminder that, you know, I want to be able to show her that no matter what life throws at you, you can always get back up.”
And while Kylee hoped to make a difference in Katie’s life, Katie was also making a difference in hers.
“As much as I might have taught Katie, she taught me so much,” Kylee said. “Katie taught me empathy, patience, compassion, understanding, and unconditional love.”
For Katie, Kylee has been a steady presence through almost every meaningful chapter of her life.
“Kylee ’s been there for me through almost every single meaningful event in my life,” Katie shared. “She’s supported me, she’s inspired me, she’s offered me comfort and guidance and so much more.”
Then Katie tries to put into words what Kylee means to her, and the emotion is right there.
“She’s the best person that I really have ever met,” Katie said. “And I don’t think that you can find anyone more loving and smart and respectful. And I really don’t know where my life would be like if I hadn’t had her.”
That kind of love is hard to describe because it becomes woven into everything. Into childhood. Into confidence. Into the person you become. Into the way you see yourself and the way you move through the world.
Now Katie is nearly 21. The little girl Kylee met at eight years old has grown up. And their relationship has grown too.
“As adults, you know, it’s so cool that our relationship has kind of changed into like a genuine friendship,” Kylee said. “She was in my wedding and she spends time with me and my friends.”
Still, the heart of who they are to each other has not changed.
“Katie is in every sense of the word aside from biologic, she is my little sister,” Kylee said.
Katie feels the same way.
“Everyone who knows me knows that she’s not just my mentor, but she’s my best friend and she’s my family and she’s my sister whether we’re related or not.”
Their story is a beautiful reminder of what mentorship can become when someone chooses to show up with consistency, patience, and love. It can become safety. It can become confidence. It can become belonging. It can become family.
“I do think that mentorship can be really impactful, especially during your teen years ’cause I think it really helps with personal growth,” Katie said. “Your life can be really complicated and overwhelming and stressful, and having that meaningful, stable relationship really helps you find your sense of belonging.”
“I’ve never not felt welcomed and loved by Kylee, so it means a lot to me.”
For Kylee and Katie, Big Brothers Big Sisters was the beginning of something life-changing. It gave them the opportunity to meet, to grow together, and to build a sisterhood that has lasted more than a decade.
“This program means more than any words in any language could ever explain,” Kylee said. “And I will always advocate for people to get involved, whether as a mentor or a mentee.”
Some matches start with a shy smile.
Some start with crafts at the kitchen table.
Some start with a little girl giving directions from the back seat.
And sometimes, with time, love, and someone willing to show up, a match becomes a sisterhood that lasts forever.
(Katie and Kylee got these tattoos together, and Katie came up with the idea. Its the coordinates to the McBain Centre, where they met for their match)
