Bree (left) and her mentor Deborah
From the beginning, Deborah felt that the relationship between herself and Bree was unique. With a resilient and open personality, Bree worked to establish an honest and open relationship, a lead Deborah was happy to follow. “Bree was quite open about her feelings and what she was experiencing [and] has helped me to be more forthcoming in talking about my own discomfort,” Deborah shared.
But Deborah soon found that this sincerity wasn’t reserved for her alone when Bree’s family experienced a traumatic event. While many people may have chosen to leave CfY, Bree didn’t quit. Instead, she continued participating and leaned on her CfY community for support. “Everybody shares and it’s a safe place to share and be you. That has made me feel more secure and more confident about myself and the spaces around me. I feel like I can be comfortable,” Bree wrote.
Now, a year and a half later, Deborah has learned how to be supportive in a way that is most effective and meaningful to Bree. The pair usually does something simple for their one-on-one time, such as window shopping downtown or taking a walk in the park. It’s during these times that they talk about Bree’s dreams and goals for her bright future. As Bree’s ambition and resilience continue to grow, she’s now focusing on graduating high school so she can attend Seattle Central College to study Early Childhood Education with a special interest in the emotional resilience of young children.