Holly is a high school graduate, excited about going to college in the fall. She’s interested in botany and chemistry and will take courses in both to see which she prefers. Whichever field she chooses, she plans to get an advanced degree, knowing it will provide her more options when she pursues a career. Holly likes to set goals and work toward them, but there was a time when thinking about the future scared her and made her anxious.

Holly grew up in a home environment marked by abuse and neglect. When she was eight, the county child welfare department took her into protective custody and placed her in a group home. Living with strangers is hard for any child. It is especially difficult for a young person who’s been through trauma. 

The group home is also where Holly was introduced to Jennifer through the Wonder Mentoring Program. Wonder matches youth in foster care with adult mentors who provide a caring, consistent presence in the youth’s life, who listen to them, and engage the world with them in fun, productive, and creative ways.

After the group home, Holly moved between five placements in three years. These moves often meant getting used to other changes too—a new neighborhood, a new school, and new peers. But Jennifer was always there. When everything else was uncertain, Jennifer’s presence was constant, something in Holly’s life that she could count on. 

The two of them went out for frozen yogurt together. They took walks in the park and went on group nature hikes. They played mini-golf. They made Halloween costumes together and baked Christmas cookies. Whenever Holly wanted to share something, Jennifer listened without judgement.

This affirming relationship, this steady, supportive presence, helped Holly experience relationships in a new light. By her freshman year in high school, she was living with a foster family dedicated to loving and supporting her, committed to helping her heal and become all she wants to be.  Today, Holly belongs to that family.  She is one of their three children.  She has an older sister and a younger brother. And though she has graduated both from high school and the Wonder Mentoring Program, she and Jennifer remain an important part of each other’s lives.

Click here to learn more about the Wonder program and becoming a mentor for youth impacted by foster care. 

*Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.​