Marco and I first met about a year and half ago. It was by accident that I stumbled upon the mentoring program with Casa Chirilagua. I hadn’t intended to search for a mentorship program, but fate intervened. I found Casa when doing a search to donate some extra school supplies that I had.
When I think about the first time we met, I was probably more nervous than he was because I had never been a mentor through any organization. However, we warmed up to each other very quickly and have enjoyed many great memories in a short amount of time. I had the pleasure of taking him to his first baseball game ever last year – Phillies vs. Nationals.
Marco loves to play and think about soccer whenever he gets a chance, and he is always eager to start up a conversation about it; but he so smart in many other ways as well. We oftentimes go to the library to work on his homework and anything else he needs help on. Aside from going to the library, we have often taken my dog, Annie, for walks because she enjoys it so much. Marco really shows his caring side when he gets a chance and demonstrates it w hen we are walking Annie. Annie has grown to like Marco. Every time they are both in the car, Annie wants nothing but to sit next to him.
While Marco has grown to be a very responsible young man, he has often times reminded me what the important aspects of life should be, which keeps things in perspective. I truly look forward to being there for Marco, sharing new experiences and building a life-long friendship with him and his family.
-Vince Garcia