On sunny afternoons in New York, you can find Mecka and Maria riding tandem across Governors Island or Manhattan, touring one of many art museums, or hunting for the best nocciola gelato in the city. The two met three years ago, and their mentoring relationship has been blossoming ever since.
Mecka Baumeister was inspired to join Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring after reading a New York Times article featuring a family they work with. As a lifelong independent learner, first-generation immigrant, and lover of art and the outdoors, Mecka felt she had much life experience to offer as a mentor and role model and was excited about the prospect of building a connection with another family and community. Maria, a then-10-year-old girl living in Staten Island, was ready to meet someone new whom she could confide in and look up to; she hoped to explore the city and try new things.
Once Mecka and Maria were matched, they became fast friends. Mecka, a conservator at the Met, enjoys sharing her love for art — both making it and viewing others’ — as well as her favorite hobby, biking. To Mecka, biking is freedom; she rides in any weather and all seasons! At first, Maria was surprised by this, but now, cycling is one of her favorite things to do, too.
Now that they’ve been mentor-mentee for nearly three years, Mecka has been alongside Maria as she grew up, left childhood, and became a teenager. With Mecka’s support, Maria has come out of her shell, improved her confidence, made progress with her academic goals, and learned so much about art, culture, nature, and New York. In fact, Maria recently was accepted into her top choice high school for this coming fall — news that thrills Mecka, Maria, and her family. For Mecka, it’s been incredibly special to watch Maria’s development and learn from her perspective on life and the world around them. Their time together has also rekindled the playful, adventurous spirit of Mecka’s inner child. As a whole, mentorship has been an enriching and fulfilling experience that has taught her so much about trust, support, friendship, and vulnerability.
Words can’t express how much Mecka and Maria mean to each other. In the last few years, Mecka has even become integrated into Maria’s family, helping to coordinate her father’s birthday celebration and taking group outings with Maria’s younger sister Rebecca and her mentor. What began as a mentoring relationship has deepened and strengthened into a profound friendship that feels akin to family.
Mecka was a nominee for the 2024 MENTOR of the Year Awards. If you are interested in mentoring, you can explore opportunities here.