Since matching two years ago through the Community Bridges Mentor Program, Favor and her mentor Sara have enjoyed their time together as a mentee-mentor pair. Sara, who works as a Senior Recruitment Manager at a national nonprofit, wanted to directly serve her Silver Spring community by offering guidance and support to a Montgomery County high school student. Excelling in cheer, theater, and literature, Favor sought a mentor who understands her and encourages her success. Now, two years later, Favor and Sara have found support and community in each other. As Favor prepares to graduate this year and attend Montgomery County Community College with future plans of becoming a therapist, Sara reminisces on the joys of mentoring Favor as they continue to connect for years to come.

Sara and Favor at Community Bridges’ annual Girls Lead Our World (G.L.O.W) 2025 Career Summit.

When did you two meet, and how long have you been mentoring Favor?

Favor and I met during the 2024-2025 Mentor Pairing process. I have been mentoring her since we matched in September 2024.

Why did you decide to mentor with Community Bridges?

I decided to mentor with Community Bridges for multiple reasons. Firstly, the location. I’m a Montgomery County, MD resident – more specifically, I’m a Silver Spring, MD resident. It was important for me to serve in my physical community. Secondly, the intention behind their mentoring program. There were mentor training sessions, pre-matching exercises, mentor meetups, and more. I could tell they truly cared about the girls they served and the mentors they supported.

How would you describe Favor when you first met, and how would you describe her now?

When I first met Favor, she was shy and didn’t like school much. She felt slightly uneasy about extracurriculars and seemed to be less talkative. Now, I would describe her as confident and clear-headed. There are still lots of things she’s figuring out, but now she’s more decisive and overall more comfortable in her skin.

Favor and Sara at the 2025 EveryMile EveryMind 5k Run and 1k Walk

Can you tell me about the interests you and Favor share, or favorite activities you’ve enjoyed with Favor?

We both enjoy experimenting with different makeup looks & hairstyles. We also have a similar sense of humor. Some of my favorite activities that we’ve done together are driving practice and nature walks.

What’s your favorite memory with Favor?

My favorite memory is one of our earliest ones – Favor had a cheerleading competition, but she didn’t tell me that her parents weren’t able to make it. I came and was able to watch her performance. I remember her running up the bleachers towards me and hugging me, which stood out because we were still getting to know each other. It showed me how important it is to show up. Especially because her parents weren’t able to that day.

Can you tell me about the growth you’ve observed in Favor since you first met?

Favor seems to have gained confidence. She has been able to prioritize bringing her GPA up while working a job and still attending school. I’m so proud of her because I know it’s not easy for her. I believe she trusts herself more and is also more open about her thoughts & feelings.

Were there any moments or discussions that reminded you of your own past experiences? How did it impact your connection with Favor?

Absolutely. Although Favor is way more outgoing, focused, and ambitious than I was at her age, there are still so many similarities between her and my 18-year-old self. Our conversations about school work, social situations, and life post-graduation have evolved so much because of that connection. I want to see her win and give her as much support as I needed during those years.

Have you experienced any growth within yourself since mentoring with CB?

I have grown a lot since mentoring with CB. I’ve begun to trust myself more, regulate my emotions more easily, and lessen my natural biases. This is because I want to be a good example for Favor, and most importantly, practice what I preach. I know she watches how I assess problems whenever we’re speaking/hanging out. I also know that she pays attention to the advice I give her, so this has helped me be more intentional before answering certain questions.

Why would you recommend mentoring?

First of all, it’s fun and fulfilling. But also, it helps you stretch your mindset and capacity. This is also an accountability booster because when you’re interacting with youth in any capacity, you have to do what you say you’ll do. It’s also rewarding to watch your mentee grow, even in the slightest of ways. Most importantly, you learn. Your mentee will teach you things that you didn’t expect to learn, if you listen as much as you speak.

It’s rewarding to watch your mentee grow, even in the slightest of ways.

Most importantly, you learn. Your mentee will teach you things that you didn’t expect to learn,

if you listen as much as you speak.

What advice would you give to future mentors?

● Be yourself.

● Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have the “right” answers or to be a certain way.

● Make sure your mentee’s parents at least have your phone number & vice versa.

● Whatever you’ve been through in life, if you survived it, you learned something – and that’s enough to bring to the table.

● You don’t need to have everything together to have an impact on someone else.

● If you can’t commit to doing it (whatever “it” may be), don’t say you’ll do it.

● Don’t force a connection, some people are introverted/reserved and it can take some time. Try not to take it personally.

● Everyone isn’t a match, and that’s okay.

Whatever you’ve been through in life, if you survived it, you learned something

– and that’s enough to bring to the table.

Written by Sara Foster, edited by Sofia Martinez

Sara has a passion for youth development, community service, and mentorship. In her professional life, she has worked as a Senior Recruitment Manager at a national nonprofit for the past 4 years. In her personal life, she enjoys writing poetry, spending time in nature, and developing her YouTube channel/podcast where she speaks about confidence & self-development. Sara joined the Community Bridges Mentor program in 2024.

Mentor recruitment for the 2026-2027 school year is now live! Interested mentors can apply here.