Ten years, one steady yes: Tara & Maclaren

When Big Tara and Little Maclaren were first matched, Maclaren was still a kid. Now, nearly a decade later, she is graduating high school, finishing an associate degree, and heading toward college with a long list of acceptances and big plans for what comes next. Through every version of Maclaren, the busy student, the theater kid, the traveler, the young woman making major life decisions, Tara has stayed what she has always been: steady, curious, and there.

The kind of fun that sneaks up on you
One of Tara’s favorite memories is also one of the simplest. The two of them were out walking when they found some fallen trees and turned them into a game of hot lava, balancing from trunk to trunk and trying not to touch the ground. Tara said she wasn’t expecting Maclaren to have as much fun as she did, but they both ended up having a blast. It is such a perfect little snapshot of this match: joy that does not need to be expensive or elaborate, just shared.

A home away from home
As Maclaren’s schedule got fuller with school, jobs, extracurriculars, and college prep, the match changed shape without losing its closeness. Tara learned how to meet her where she was. Sometimes that looked like tea, new foods, local plays, yarn shops, or crafty adventures. Sometimes it looked like pizza, puzzles, and hanging out with the whole family at home. Kelle, Maclaren’s mom, says Tara became “the most perfect and welcome addition” to their lives, and Tara says their home has become her home away from home. That is more than a successful match. That is family.

Growing through hard things
Their bond was not only built in easy seasons. Both Tara and Maclaren experienced major loss around the same time, Tara losing her dad, Maclaren losing the great-uncle who was a central figure in her life. Neither one had a magic fix for grief. What they did have was each other. That quiet understanding mattered. So did the way Tara kept showing up with care, whether that meant checking in, making space, or simply staying close when life felt especially heavy.

The girl Maclaren has become
Over the years, Tara has watched Maclaren become more and more herself. She admires her self-esteem, her boundaries, her opinions, and the way she has learned to navigate hard situations with confidence. Kelle says Tara has helped reinforce that growth by encouraging Maclaren to speak up, trust her voice, and keep stretching into new things. Maclaren says having a Big means having “a supportive friend and mentor all in one.” That line says a lot. So does this one: when Tara encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone and make some new friends during an admitted students day, Maclaren did. It is a small moment, but it reflects something bigger this match has built over time, the confidence to walk into new spaces, trust her own voice, and keep choosing what comes next for herself.

Find it here
Maybe what Tara and Maclaren found here is something bigger than mentorship alone. Maybe they found the kind of connection that grows roots. The kind that survives busy schedules, grief, growing up, and all the change that comes with nearly ten years of life. That’s why mentoring matters in 2026. It is social infrastructure, the human connection that helps young people build confidence, navigate transitions, and imagine bigger futures for themselves. Tara puts it beautifully: being a Big is “more about listening than teaching.” And Maclaren is living proof that the right steady presence can echo for years.

​​Find it here. Become a Big.Bi.