Big Sister Kristen Erekson with her “Little,” Wild.

Somerville resident Kristen Erekson was matched with her first mentee or “Little,” Wild, in 2007. Then 23-years-old and seven-years-old respectively, the mentoring duo grew up together in many ways as they navigated the successes and challenges of family, school, friendships, and career together.

Despite now living 1,000 miles apart and her Little aging out of the program, Erekson remains a steadfast figure in Wild’s life as she mentors her third Little through Big Brothers Big Sisters programming. To celebrate her 16 years of mentorship, Erekson is holding a donation challenge from December 16 through December 31 in which she will match up to $16,000 in financial contributions to support BBBSEM’s year-round one-to-one youth mentoring programs.

“When I entered the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, I knew I would be helping to shape a child’s life but what I didn’t bargain for was how much my mentee would change mine,” says Erekson. “As a mentor, you serve as a consistent presence and listening ear. You can expose children to things they may not otherwise see or experience, and they can expose you to things you might fly under your radar.

As a mentor, not only do you see your mentee blossom, but they remind you to not always take life so seriously, and they return your support in ways you can’t anticipate. Today, my first mentee is a college graduate of my grad school alma mater. Now an adult, not only is she my friend, but she is also family.”

This will be the first Thanksgiving Erekson and Wild haven’t spent with each other in several years. Throughout the course of their mentoring relationship, they’ve attended movies, the ballet, and photo exhibits, they’ve tried different foods and restaurants, they filled out scholarship applications, and they’ve celebrated holidays and birthdays.

Following in her Big’s footsteps, Wild even graduated college from Erekson’s graduate school alma mater. Most importantly, however, they’ve stuck together through the good times and the challenging times, supporting each other every step of the way.

“One evening when I was having a challenging moment with my own family, I called Wild to tell her I wasn’t up for hanging out; however, with my birthday just around the corner she insisted I come over,” says Erekson. “Upon arrival, she gave me my gift, a song about all the things we’d done together as a match that she would not have been able to do without me in her life.

This heart-felt gift reminded me that you cannot change the family that you are born into, but you can create a new family through connecting with others. This song was to the tune of “Gangam Style” showing my Little’s flare for adding silliness to even the most touching moment. We have both gained so much from this experience together, showing the true power of mentorship.”

After Wild aged out of the program, Erekson has since been matched with two additional mentees. It has been six months since she was first introduced to her current Little, Joi’elle. The duo recently made chocolate chip cookies from scratch that were such a hit that her 11-year-old mentee proudly brought them to school the next day to share with her classmates. Erekson looks forward to introducing Wild to Joi’elle when she comes to visit next year.

“Not every match continues as long or as deep as Kristen and Wild, but many do,” says BBBSEM President and CEO Mark O’Donnell, a former two-time Big Brother. “No matter how society shifts, children will always need guidance from caring adult mentors which is why we work to ensure our matches stay connected.”

In its 75 years, the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate in New England has supported more than 25,000 youth. To donate to Erekson’s fundraising challenge and support BBBSEM’s year-round one-to-one youth mentoring programs, visit: https://support.emassbigs.org/give/533035/#!/donation/checkout.