One Child. One Friend - Remy & Rian's Story

It's crazy to think that a year and a half ago I met one of the sweetest little girls. I walked into Mrs. B’s kindergarten room at Orchard Elementary and headed to the back of the room to observe the day-to-day interactions of room 123. Mrs. B called on Remy and it was the first time I was able to see who I would be mentoring over the next 12 years.

I spent a lot of time getting to know Remy and her family; her mother, father, and two other siblings. Her mother was pregnant at the time, and they have since added two new little humans to the family. Resilience is nothing new for this family. They have had their share of adversities to overcome such as homelessness, domestic violence, and the harsh realities of living in Eastern Montana as people of color.

Remy is such a sweet and intuitive little girl. When I first started working with her I worked at getting to know her so that she felt comfortable with me. Then I would make little notes to work on such as how she interacts with her peers, where she is academically, and things that she likes to do. While academics are not easy, she works incredibly hard in the classroom. All the pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall into place and today Remy is not the same little girl I met a year and a half ago. She is funny, loves to tell a relevant story, is flourishing in her academics and meeting most benchmarks, and loves when we get to spend time together.

Remy is quite a crafter and is currently taking an interest in her culture and learning how to dance jingle. Her mother is getting a dress made so that she can dance in upcoming pow wows. Today her family is succeeding, and they are doing great with people who support them. I am grateful to be a part of Remy’s life.

- Rian St. Pierre, Friend