Igniting Azarya's Confidence with Express

4/26/2023

Azarya, her mother, and her Big Sib, Alita, had a blast shopping at the Express store in Ann Arbor for a special Dream Big Project x Big Brothers Big Sisters shopping experience.

They were able to pick out some great new clothes that made them feel confident and stylish. Even more exciting, Express has hired Azarya for her first job! We are so grateful to the Dream Big Project for helping Azarya build her self-confidence and express herself through fashion.

What did you use your gift card to shop for today?

Using my gift card at express, I shopped for a suit and stylish, comfortable clothes. I’ve been needing a suit for a long time, so it was nice to have something that fit and was affordable.

How did this experience help create confidence for you for your upcoming moment?

I wasn’t sure if I deserved to win the contest. I’m not a very confident person, especially with my looks. At stores like express, I’ve always felt fat, so I don’t go in to actually look. However, after going into the store and browsing, not only did I find clothes I like, I felt good in them. According to my big sister, I acted more confident when wearing nice clothes. I finally understand why clothes build confidence and why the express brand is about confidence, because I felt better about myself and my weight while wearing your clothes. I want other people my size to know being cute and feeling good about yourself isn’t a privilege only really skinny girls get.

What was your favorite part of your experience today?

The experience was good for my self image and for my future. Not only do I believe I got a future job there, I now have the confidence in both my abilities and looks to earn said job. My favorite part about the day was talking to the manager, she was a nice lady who seemed very friendly. It made my shopping trip nice, both her taking pictures of me and complimenting me. I also enjoyed spending time with my mom and big sister, both helping me feel good about myself.

How have you gained confidence through your participation in the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentorship program?

This is a hard question for me, the experiences I’ve had through the big sisters and big brothers program have helped me gain confidence, such as the express shopping trip. However, I can’t think of anything that directly impacted my confidence. I can think of the benefits having a big sister has had on me though. Not only do I have someone to turn to, which isn’t something I can say I’ve had in a long time, being bullied through middle school and not having any friends. I’ve also learned skills of how to support others, which is something that takes practice. Through my big sister, I can say her personality and morals have rubbed off on me, so now I have a positive influence in my life. If I’m being honest, I wanted a big sister who I could talk about how terrible the world is with, but instead I found one with such a positive outlook and intelligent being that I’m now starting to have a change of heart on how I view humanity. I will say, with my participation of big sisters and big brothers program, I have tried new things and grown as a person. For example, I was able to go to the neutral zone because my big sister, Alita, came with me. It’s just nice to have that extra love in support in a place I like, a sibling relationship. Through the program, and through my big sister, it really is like having an actual sibling. Also, the advising manager, Ms. Crystal is such a nice woman. Maybe it’s because I’ve had more time to improve my social interactions and overall skills, but I now feel confident enough to have a conversation in person and over the phone, things my shyness hindered me from doing.