MONROE - In an article written for The Monroe Times nearly 25 years ago, Claudia Styzinski and Carissa Blaser shared their story of being matched through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Green County and said they intended to remain friends forever.
Though a lofty goal set over two decades ago, the two have kept their word. "Big sister" Claudia and "little sister" Carissa have actually become closer still. Claudia co-officiated Carissa's wedding to her husband, Brian Hogan, in Monroe before the couple moved to Eau Claire in 2000.
"Little did I know that a few years later, I would be marrying her father-in-law, and she was the matron of honor at our wedding," Claudia said. "Turnabout fair play, I guess."
Carissa laughed boisterously at her former mentor's assertion.
"She jokes with me that I never warned her about her current husband," Carissa said. "I said, 'you knew what you were getting into.'"
The two were more than 200 miles apart when Carissa left. But only until 2008, when Claudia married Brian's father, Pat, and moved to a home in Eau Claire just 5 miles away.
The duo has seen one another through happy times and the trying parts of life. When Carissa was pursuing a bachelor's degree in human resource management while raising two children and working full time, Claudia would offer her help with homework motivation, just as she had when the girl was in high school. The work paid off. Carissa graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout last year.
"Her mom was proud the day that she got her degree," Claudia said. "I don't think she was as proud as I was. I knew she could do it."
Carissa said her big sister of 25 years has been "a great support system." Claudia said the same of Carissa.
In late November, Claudia heard a cancer diagnosis for the second time in roughly 70 years of life. The first time, Claudia said Carissa would drive Pat to Marshfield to see Claudia while she received treatment, a 160-mile round trip.
This time, Claudia is in a bout with pancreatic cancer, currently undergoing chemotherapy. The cold weather of the holiday season worried Carissa. So she brought her two daughters and her husband to Claudia's house for Thanksgiving and Christmas and cooked the family meal they usually share, which includes Carissa's mother, Alice. On both days, Claudia didn't have to prepare dinner and everything was cleaned and organized before Carissa and her family left.
"One of the things I look at is the fact that, no matter what happens ... I do know that Carissa, as well as her husband and the kids, they'll be there no matter," Claudia said. "That brings me a lot of comfort. It really does."
It was a fateful day in November 1992 when Claudia reviewed three forms, each displaying a name, age and the interests of a young girl enrolled with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Claudia began mentoring as a couple with her late husband, Bob. When Bob wanted his own little brother, Claudia decided she was going to choose a mentee of her own, and chose the 11-year-old Carissa based on similar likes and dislikes.
Both said they got along right away. Carissa said it was likely because even though Claudia was in her late 40s, it never felt like a mother-daughter relationship. Claudia has always been like an older female sibling; one Carissa never had growing up in a family with older brothers.
"We could have conversations about anything," Carissa said, from religion to news stories to Carissa's day at school. "It was almost like having, essentially, a big sister."
Claudia credited Carissa's mother for the success of their match because Alice was supportive of outings, whether they attended a show in Madison or when they flew across the Atlantic to see Ireland in 1996, which Claudia noted was enjoyable to share with Carissa, who had never seen the country before.
Technically, the match was severed in May 1999, but that didn't stop the pair from spending time together. A bond formed in those seven years they were unwilling to break. Claudia said in a way their friendship is similar to marriage; to keep a strong relationship, both parties have to work for it. Neither are surprised they remain friends to this day.
"'Till death do us part, that's how long the friendship will go," Carissa said. "When the inevitable happens for both of us, it's going to be very difficult ... every relationship needs work every now and then, or an extra hug or something, but we enjoy each other's company. We put everything out on the table, and we don't let it fester and break up the relationship."
As time passed and Carissa entered high school, the two spent time volunteering, visiting Pleasant View Nursing Home with marionettes - which got more attention than the performers, Claudia noted. On other days, Claudia and Carissa could be found playing a variety of instruments in concerts at Monroe Manor. Carissa continues to keep busy, volunteering for the last nine years as service area product manager overseeing roughly 70 Girl Scout troop leaders.
Kirsten Boll, case manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Green County, said the organization doesn't receive news of people who still consider themselves matched, as Claudia and Carissa do.
"It's very heartwarming to me," Boll said. "I love to hear the stories of how either they stayed connected or re-connected. These people are like family, and once their matches end you're not really sure what's going to happen."
Boll said the program has 20 children waiting for volunteer mentors as Claudia was to Carissa. From the day the two were paired, Boll noted they were "two-of-a-kind." Both feel the organization is an important one.
"It's been an amazing 25 years, and would I change it? No, absolutely not," Carissa said. "Would I recommend it? Absolutely. This program gave me more than I could possibly imagine."
Claudia spent time volunteering with the program office but never sought out another little to mentor.
"I am so fortunate to have her in my life for the last 25 years," Claudia said. "My life would have been a heck of a lot different if she hadn't walked into it."
Though a lofty goal set over two decades ago, the two have kept their word. "Big sister" Claudia and "little sister" Carissa have actually become closer still. Claudia co-officiated Carissa's wedding to her husband, Brian Hogan, in Monroe before the couple moved to Eau Claire in 2000.
"Little did I know that a few years later, I would be marrying her father-in-law, and she was the matron of honor at our wedding," Claudia said. "Turnabout fair play, I guess."
Carissa laughed boisterously at her former mentor's assertion.
"She jokes with me that I never warned her about her current husband," Carissa said. "I said, 'you knew what you were getting into.'"
The two were more than 200 miles apart when Carissa left. But only until 2008, when Claudia married Brian's father, Pat, and moved to a home in Eau Claire just 5 miles away.
The duo has seen one another through happy times and the trying parts of life. When Carissa was pursuing a bachelor's degree in human resource management while raising two children and working full time, Claudia would offer her help with homework motivation, just as she had when the girl was in high school. The work paid off. Carissa graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout last year.
"Her mom was proud the day that she got her degree," Claudia said. "I don't think she was as proud as I was. I knew she could do it."
Carissa said her big sister of 25 years has been "a great support system." Claudia said the same of Carissa.
In late November, Claudia heard a cancer diagnosis for the second time in roughly 70 years of life. The first time, Claudia said Carissa would drive Pat to Marshfield to see Claudia while she received treatment, a 160-mile round trip.
This time, Claudia is in a bout with pancreatic cancer, currently undergoing chemotherapy. The cold weather of the holiday season worried Carissa. So she brought her two daughters and her husband to Claudia's house for Thanksgiving and Christmas and cooked the family meal they usually share, which includes Carissa's mother, Alice. On both days, Claudia didn't have to prepare dinner and everything was cleaned and organized before Carissa and her family left.
"One of the things I look at is the fact that, no matter what happens ... I do know that Carissa, as well as her husband and the kids, they'll be there no matter," Claudia said. "That brings me a lot of comfort. It really does."
It was a fateful day in November 1992 when Claudia reviewed three forms, each displaying a name, age and the interests of a young girl enrolled with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Claudia began mentoring as a couple with her late husband, Bob. When Bob wanted his own little brother, Claudia decided she was going to choose a mentee of her own, and chose the 11-year-old Carissa based on similar likes and dislikes.
Both said they got along right away. Carissa said it was likely because even though Claudia was in her late 40s, it never felt like a mother-daughter relationship. Claudia has always been like an older female sibling; one Carissa never had growing up in a family with older brothers.
"We could have conversations about anything," Carissa said, from religion to news stories to Carissa's day at school. "It was almost like having, essentially, a big sister."
Claudia credited Carissa's mother for the success of their match because Alice was supportive of outings, whether they attended a show in Madison or when they flew across the Atlantic to see Ireland in 1996, which Claudia noted was enjoyable to share with Carissa, who had never seen the country before.
Technically, the match was severed in May 1999, but that didn't stop the pair from spending time together. A bond formed in those seven years they were unwilling to break. Claudia said in a way their friendship is similar to marriage; to keep a strong relationship, both parties have to work for it. Neither are surprised they remain friends to this day.
"'Till death do us part, that's how long the friendship will go," Carissa said. "When the inevitable happens for both of us, it's going to be very difficult ... every relationship needs work every now and then, or an extra hug or something, but we enjoy each other's company. We put everything out on the table, and we don't let it fester and break up the relationship."
As time passed and Carissa entered high school, the two spent time volunteering, visiting Pleasant View Nursing Home with marionettes - which got more attention than the performers, Claudia noted. On other days, Claudia and Carissa could be found playing a variety of instruments in concerts at Monroe Manor. Carissa continues to keep busy, volunteering for the last nine years as service area product manager overseeing roughly 70 Girl Scout troop leaders.
Kirsten Boll, case manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Green County, said the organization doesn't receive news of people who still consider themselves matched, as Claudia and Carissa do.
"It's very heartwarming to me," Boll said. "I love to hear the stories of how either they stayed connected or re-connected. These people are like family, and once their matches end you're not really sure what's going to happen."
Boll said the program has 20 children waiting for volunteer mentors as Claudia was to Carissa. From the day the two were paired, Boll noted they were "two-of-a-kind." Both feel the organization is an important one.
"It's been an amazing 25 years, and would I change it? No, absolutely not," Carissa said. "Would I recommend it? Absolutely. This program gave me more than I could possibly imagine."
Claudia spent time volunteering with the program office but never sought out another little to mentor.
"I am so fortunate to have her in my life for the last 25 years," Claudia said. "My life would have been a heck of a lot different if she hadn't walked into it."