Meet Sam! Sam is kind, curious, and imaginative. He’s very passionate about video games, and dreams of being a YouTuber. Sam has a big heart and sees the best in everyone.

However, Sam struggles to see the good in himself.

Sam lives with his great aunt, Ms. Karen, who has a full house and is stretched thin. She works hard to take care of Sam’s physical needs. But she does not always have the capacity to show up for his emotional needs, and he is often overlooked.

When his Professional Mentor, Timothy, first met Sam he noticed that Sam thought he was inferior to other kids and often made himself small to keep the peace. Timothy immediately saw the importance of empowering Sam to advocate for himself. When a child feels comfortable advocating for themselves, their whole world opens up. They have more agency, develop stronger relationships, build independence skills, have confidence in taking steps to achieve their goals, and so much more. We want all of that – and more – for Sam.

Whenever Sam feels small and shuts down, he knows that he can turn to Timothy. Like when his cousin takes his toy away or when he gets in trouble at home or school and doesn’t understand why. Timothy listens to Sam with compassion and curiosity, he validates Sam’s feelings, and then together they brainstorm how Sam could speak up for himself in the future and practice it.

Most importantly, Timothy makes sure that every time Sam sees him, he hears, “You are good, you are important, and your voice matters.”

It will take Sam a long time to feel safe expressing himself fully, but through this intentional and individualized care, Sam is already opening up more to Timothy and other safe adults. This is incredible progress, and it only scratches the surface of the power of long-term Professional Mentorship.