Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound (BBBSPS) is building a complete mentoring network in Snohomish County: recruiting adult mentors, enrolling young people, and laying the groundwork for local employer partnerships. Elizabeth and Adrianna show what that network is actually built out of: two people who decided to keep showing up for each other.
When Their Program Changed, Elizabeth Made a Choice
Elizabeth and Adrianna were first matched through mentoring services in Snohomish County. When that program came to an end, Elizabeth didn’t let it end their relationship. She transferred into BBBSPS’s mentoring program, specifically to keep showing up for Adrianna. In April 2026, the two were re-matched, and picked up right where they left off.
Since then, they’ve spent an entire day at the zoo, staying until closing. They’ve taken a boat ride on the lake. At a local bead store, they sat down to make necklaces together and lost track of time.
They celebrated Adriana’s sixteenth birthday with dumplings and a walk around the mall, the kind of ordinary, easy afternoon that a good match is mostly made of.
  |
Watching Adrianna Grow
Adrianna is creative, funny, and more self-aware than most people her age. She’s navigated real challenges and done it with resilience, and these days she’s focused on building her confidence and finding her own voice. She’s also started thinking seriously about her future, including college and a career in healthcare.
Elizabeth has leaned into that. She works in healthcare herself and has connected Adrianna to real conversations about the field, including a possible tour of Seattle Children’s Hospital. She plans outings around what Adrianna actually cares about, asks the kinds of questions that draw her out, and shows up as a consistent, genuine cheerleader.
  |
Adrianna has opened up more over time, sharing her friendships and her decisions about school with Elizabeth more willingly than she used to. She’s even started taking her own photos during their outings, a small habit, but a real sign of a young woman finding new ways to express herself.
As for Elizabeth: she didn’t let a program transition be the end of something that mattered. Because she didn’t, Adrianna still has someone fully in her corner.
Matches like this are exactly what BBBSPS is working to build more of across Snohomish County.
Become a Big in Snohomish County
You do not need special expertise, income or background to be a great mentor. Your consistency is the asset. If you have a few hours a month, there is a Little in Snohomish County waiting for a Big like Elizabeth. Learn more and apply at inspirebig.org/become-a-big.
Enroll a Child
Families in Snohomish County can enroll a child in the BBBSPS mentoring program today at inspirebig.org/enroll-a-child/.
Interested in Partnering as an Employer?
BBBSPS is also laying early groundwork for corporate and community partnerships in Snohomish County. Local businesses interested in early conversations can contact James Modie, Chief Development Officer.
