We respectfully request that the details of this story are not shared outside this evening for confidentiality reasons.

Celeste is a thoughtful, caring girl who has dealt with some major traumas in her life. She tragically lost her mum in a road traffic accident when she was eight, and then her best friend in a bus accident when she was ten. This has understandably caused significant struggles for Celeste as she is growing up. 

She lives with her brother, who is on the autistic spectrum and her father. She has struggled with friendships at school and dealing with big emotions. Celeste has a beautiful relationship with her dad but lacks females in her life that have a shared interest.

Celeste asked for a mentor who could teach her how to do her hair, because “as much as Dad tries, he still can’t do a French braid”.

Executive assistant Shanelle is a kind, gentle woman who hails from Taranaki, but has been in Auckland for many years now. Her parents divorced when she was younger, so she knows what it’s like not to have a parent around. Although she’s working in an office now, she is a qualified beauty therapist and used to be a teacher, so has lots of experience with children of all ages. She wanted to become involved in BBBS because she knew there are lots of kids in Auckland who might benefit from some extra support, and she felt that she can offer that.

We decided to match Celeste with Shanelle because they both love animals and have a shared passion for hair and beauty. The girls love going for coffee, looking at magazines, window shopping and enjoying nature. 

This match has seen some dramatic changes in Celeste’s confidence and ways of managing her emotions. These two are very close, and Celeste feels she can share anything with her mentor and not feel judged.