A Legacy of Support: Xenia and Ariana’s Mentoring Story

Xenia Lally discovered mentoring through her brother, who found life-changing inspiration and passion through mentorship after becoming paralyzed in a car accident. After his passing, Xenia decided to join Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring in order to, like him, give back to her community and share her knowledge and life experience with a young person. In her words, Xenia “finds joy in supporting young women and being able to guide a young person through challenging years.” 

In early 2023, Xenia met Ariana, a bright high school student from the Lower East Side. Initially, Ariana and her mother joined Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring to help Ariana prepare for college, continue meeting her academic goals, and discover more about herself. In doing so, however, Ariana found so much more. She ended up with not only a mentor but also a close friend, sister, confidante, and someone to explore the city and learn new things with.  

Ariana and Xenia have built their relationship over many pasta dinners, new movie viewings, botanical garden outings, and of course, “girl talks”: their favorite way to catch up and talk openly about anything and everything, whether it’s school or their personal lives. They also share a passion for art, design, and fashion; Xenia, who works as a Senior Designer at Calvin Klein, loves sharing her ideas and professional advice with Ariana, who hopes to become a fashion designer. To encourage her love for creation, the two often take art classes and paint casually in the park, and they’ve visited many art museums together (most recently, an immersive exhibit at Lincoln Center!). 

“Ariana means so much to me. She re-iterates the power of human connection, being vulnerable with someone, and being open to learning,” Xenia says. “It’s really true that the mentor and mentee often times switch roles.” Throughout their mentoring relationship, Xenia notes that she’s grown so much just by helping another human being grow and develop into a smart, curious, kind young woman. She has learned to be more selfless, compassionate, and open-minded, and feels that she has learned just as much from Ariana as Ariana has learned from her. 

Together, Xenia and Ariana have forged an authentic connection and unshakeable bond. To Ariana, Xenia is a comfortable safe space, an honest friend, and a role model who truly has her best interests at heart. Through this mentorship, Xenia remembers her brother and the impact he made as a mentor, and she hopes to serve her community and improve the lives of young people in the same way. She says, “it’s really important if you can try and live your values in the truest way,” and to her, being a mentor is exactly how she can do just that. 

Xenia was a nominee for the 2024 MENTOR of the Year Awards. If you are interested in mentoring, you can explore opportunities here.