Megan and Sarah
May 2026 TeamMates of the Month: Laying a Foundation
Megan remembers her first impressions of her mentor, Sarah.
“She was very outgoing. She was just ready to jump in and meet me and have fun.”
Megan was surprised to hear what Sarah remembers about their start.
“My first experience was hard because my mentee moved after two years. So I was so terrified. And I’m shy. It’s crazy hearing Megan’s impression of me. Of course she is super shy!”
In 4th grade, the game cupboard helped them both open up.
“That’s a core memory for me and Megan. That got her to open up, I think, for the first time.”
Things shifted for Megan when she was moving from elementary school to middle school.
“Transitioning into 6th grade was difficult. I went to Sarah for support and just someone to talk to. I felt like she was the one I could trust.”
Sarah sensed that they were connecting on a deeper level. She wanted to be sure Megan knew that she was not alone.
“I felt that there were things in my life that I could share with her to help her get through some of the stuff in her life.”
Those connections have helped Megan know that Sarah genuinely cares about her. How does she know?
“She asks about my life. She’s there to support me.”
Learning about Megan’s life and watching her grow from a very shy girl to a resilient, optimistic leader has been rewarding for Sarah. When she speaks about Megan’s life, she wears a big smile.
“No matter what is thrown at her, she takes it in stride and she overcomes it. She’s been through countless obstacles and she just comes out positive and keeps on coming. I don’t know if I could have ever been that resilient.”
In eight years, there has never been a doubt in either of their minds that they would continue being TeamMates. Sarah laughs at that.
“I don’t know. She keeps coming back. She likes me. I’m doing something right.”
They both want to keep their friendship going after graduation which will come up early for Megan. They’ve been talking about what that might look like.
Sarah doesn’t take the time she’s devoted to Megan lightly.
“I feel like we are setting the foundation for what our community is going to look like in the future. And if we don’t give back, we’re not setting up anyone.”