National Mentoring Month
Hayden and Tim’s Rocksolid Bond
By: Leah Shepherd
A bond built on music and video games is a bond that will never break. How do we know? Meet Hayden and Tim; their friendship was based on those two things 10 years ago and remains just as strong to this day.
“I specifically remember when he signed up for one of the trips to the Northwest Children’s Theater in Portland… we started talking because he was wearing a KISS t-shirt and playing Pokemon. It was like meeting a younger version of myself, which was quite surreal. We bonded right away over our mutual love of various things, including, but not limited to, great 70’s rock bands and video games,” said Tim.
One of our values at Rocksolid is Mentorship, which we define as ‘encouraging our teens to broaden their horizons by instilling essential life values and helping them develop the character and skills necessary for a prosperous and fulfilling future.’ This value has truly been demonstrated through the relationship built by Hayden and Tim.
“Tim has always been like a cool older brother or cousin to me, which was really impactful while I was living as an only child with no neighbors. We'd play video games, and he'd talk to me about all the stuff going on in my life,” said Hayden. He continued, stating, “I met Tim at a very crucial point in my life when I was entering a whole new era. Both Tim and Rocksolid really helped me navigate that period of time a lot.”
Building relationships not only helps teens but also helps grow mentors! Tim described Rocksolid as “a place where people of different generations and backgrounds can come together and really become a community of their own that supports and blesses each other.”
To this day, despite Tim moving, they both message back and forth and have even been able to visit each other through road trips over the summers!
“Tim named his daughter after me, and that really meant the world. Over the years, Tim has grown from a mentor to a brother for me. He's witnessed me at my highest highs and lowest lows, and I couldn't ask for a better friend,” Hayden said.