January 26, 2026
Meet our Friend, Keyera!
Mentoring With Purpose, Empathy, and Joy
For Keyera, mentorship is more than a role, it’s a commitment to community, connection, and possibility.
Before joining Friends – New York, Keyera spent six years working with students with autism, a demanding and deeply meaningful experience that tested her physically, mentally, and emotionally. While she saw her students grow, she felt a pull to make a more direct impact beyond the classroom.
That search led her to Friends of the Children – New York.
Today, Keyera is a Friend - supporting seven Achievers and their caregivers. Every day, she works alongside families to support education, health, social-emotional learning, and community connection. Whether she’s helping Achievers navigate school transitions, exploring their interests across New York City, or supporting caregivers through financial challenges and food insecurity, Keyera shows up consistently, no matter what.
“Every day feels purposeful,” Keyera shares. “I’m able to directly impact a community I’m a part of, and that matters deeply to me.”
One of the things Keyera values most about Friends of the Children’s model is the power of one-to-one, long-term relationships.
Keyera also loves the freedom to explore the city with her Achievers, introducing them to new neighborhoods, cultures, and experiences. For many of the young people she mentors, these outings are the first time they’ve ever left their borough.
“Exposure changes everything,” she says. “When Achievers can see and experience a bigger world, they begin to imagine new possibilities for themselves.”
Some of Keyera’s most impactful moments come during milestones, like watching two of her Achievers graduate fifth grade. “It felt like guiding them through childhood and into a new phase of life,” she reflects. “Seeing them grow, adapt, and build confidence is what keeps me here.”
At the heart of Keyera’s mentoring is empathy. She strives to listen deeply to Achievers’ thoughts, dreams, worries, and joys modeling the kind of care she hopes they will one day extend to others. And sometimes, it’s the small moments that matter most: a smile during an outing, a phone call to share good news, or even a laugh over a breakfast sandwich order (“the pig,” as one Achiever put it).
Those moments are reminders of what makes professional mentoring so powerful: trust, consistency, and relationships built to last.