“Brianna joined the TeamMates Mentoring Program as a fifth-grader in Broken Bow, NE looking to try something fun. That’s when she met her mentor, Deb McCaslin. They met in school once a week to play soccer and talk.

Deb and Brianna remained matched in the TeamMates Mentoring Program until Brianna graduated from high school. As Brianna started looking toward her future, she said she wanted to contribute to her country. That’s why she chose to enlist in the Marines and study psychology at the Citadel in South Carolina. “In the Marines, they push you,” Brianna explained. “At the Citadel, you earn your spot, and I love it. Not only will I be able to serve my country, but I’ll also be able to be a leader of some great men and women.” The only issue ahead for Brianna was funding. After her visit to South Carolina, she was heartbroken, thinking she wouldn’t be able to attend such a prestigious school. That’s when Deb came in with hope. Deb researched scholarship opportunities and came across several from the TeamMates Mentoring Program. With the support of the Educational Success Emergency Fund and the Mentors Foundation, TeamMates was able to provide Brianna with enough money to achieve her full potential at the Citadel.

“We are extremely grateful for our partnership with Mentors Foundation in so many different ways to impact our mentees,” said TeamMates+ coordinator Jaci McKeever. “This story is a great example of dedicated professionals working together to provide opportunities to students that commit to investing in themselves with mentoring and quality education.”

In Brianna’s own words during her latest update:

I am proud to share all the exciting events from this upcoming semester. This summer I stayed in South Carolina and spent the month of June working at Spare Time which is like a bowling alley, so it was super cool to be a server there!  The month of July, I have been at training for the marines called CORTRAMID which is a week with the marines, a week with the sub community in the navy, a week with the SWO community in the navy, and the Aviation Community in the Navy. I have learned so much and this summer flew by. Looking into this next year, I have been able to earn a leadership role in my college as a corporal in the corps of cadets at The Citadel. I will be in charge of helping teach and evolve the Knobs to the military college life and to help them become a better version of themselves.  As well, this year I will be the secretary of the powerlifting team and an active member of my church group.

On a personal note though, I have challenged myself with something that scares me and that something is a 6 hour race. Not once, but twice. I will do my first 6-hour race and then my second one will be just a few months away! This is out of my comfort zone but I think that this will be a good way to examine myself and to break my limits that I have put on myself. I want to thank you guys for believing in me and giving me such a life-changing opportunity. When days get hard, I think about you and the community that backs me and it helps me get through and go one more. Again, thank you for helping me and for being here for me. I am so grateful to the Mentors Foundation.