Big Brother Jeremy & Little Brother Andrew

Meet Big Brother Jeremy and Little Brother Andrew who have been matched for 2 years now!

Big Brother Jeremy and Little Brother Andrew first met in November 2022, and they’ve been good pals ever since.

A Big Beginning

During the height of the pandemic, Jeremy moved to Kosciusko which greatly influenced his first year’s experience there. Having to work from home and with limited social gatherings, Jeremy couldn’t involve himself in the community like he wanted. Once he was able, Jeremy knew he wanted to get more involved, always having been a very active participator. He started going back to work in person, volunteering for other nonprofits, and getting involved with his church’s youth group.

When he learned about BBBS through work and The BIG Celebration, Jeremy signed up, still looking for more ways to engage in his new community.

Andrew already knew about Big Brothers Big Sisters through his older siblings who had Bigs. Andrew’s mom noticed her son would “just stare out the window” when his siblings left with their Bigs. It wasn’t long before Andrew asked his mom if he could have a Big Brother too. 

“I wanted one to have some more fun in my life,” said Little Brother Andrew.

Match Meeting

When their first outing to Pottery Bayou finally arrived, this new Big was a combination of “excited and a bit nervous,” but he soon discovered he didn’t need to be! His “awesome, polite, funny, and fairly talkative” Little Brother made Jeremy excited to get to know him.

“That said, there were still the nerves about how well we would truly get along once we started hanging out and doing things, and whether I would be like the Big Brother he was looking for or not,” said Jeremy.

But according to Andrew’s mom, their match is exactly what Andrew was looking for.

“Andrew is very social, so a goal for him was to have another person to spend some time with and get to know besides family. To have a friend that he can count on,” she said. “I think so far they’re reaching the goal because he is always looking forward to seeing Jeremy.”

Good Times with Good Friends

It’s no wonder these two get along, both very involved people. Andrew reminds Jeremy of himself at that age—taking part in as many school clubs and extracurriculars as possible. Andrew divides his time between different after-school activities and sports like cross country, track, and chess club. Now, he’s hoping to get involved with basketball, too. But his favorite club would have to be robotics. There’s nothing cooler than going out of town for competitions!

Andrew also likes how fun his Big Brother is, saying, “He is kind, and he is also funny because he talks about the stories that happened to him in the past.”

The two now have a go-to routine for when they meet up:

1. Go to the gas station for snacks and drinks (usually a lemonade and mints for Andrew).
2. Go back to Jeremy’s apartment for a fun night of board games, card games, movies, Phineas and Ferb, or painting.

“I know that I look forward to hanging out every time that we do, and I think he does too,” said Jeremy. “I thoroughly enjoy our conversations and hearing about what he’s doing inside and outside of school. I think as we continue to spend more time together, we’ll continue to grow closer as brothers.”

Kosciusko Match Activities

This Big and Little duo have also been trying out the Kosciusko Match Activities which “have been a blast” so far! One of Andrew’s favorites was when he and other Bigs and Littles made Valentine’s Day cookies for policemen and firefighters.

Jeremy’s favorite memory of their match was when they walked in the fashion show at The BIG Celebration. Striking poses on the catwalk and wearing matching suits was a first for both of them.

“I think that was a bit out of both of our comfort zones to be a part of that, but it was fun to be able to tackle together,” said Jeremy.

“It was not that bad honestly. It was just like going to a concert. We also got to dress up in fancy clothes,” said Andrew.

Next up, Andrew wants to revisit the Pottery Bayou and play pickleball together in the park. Whatever it is they get up to next, here is what Jeremy is most excited about:

“Continued growth in our friendship. I’m excited for future events we can go to together and the conversations we will have. As he gets older and has more organized events, I am looking forward to being able to go and support him at those.”

2 years of Friendship

“I think just being an additional friend that he’s able to spend time with and get some one-on-one attention from has been the biggest thing,” said Jeremy on his impact as a mentor. As for himself, he learned that there are definitely benefits for the mentor, too.

There’s nothing like a 5^th grader to keep you feeling young and updated on popular lingo, media, and celebrities. Jeremy has discovered new books, found out that fries on cheeseburgers are delicious, and tested to find the quickest Taco Bell near them. Andrew also updates his Big on new saints and current YouTubers.

“It’s completely different than my day job, so the biggest impact on me—beyond giving me a new friend—is that it helps me stay balanced and grounded between work and life,” said Jeremy.

Andrew explained that their friendship has both stayed fun but also evolved over their 2 years of knowing each other. He said, “It’s not like when I first saw him, so it has grown a lot.”

Andrew’s mom has seen the difference that mentorship makes in someone’s life:

“I will say that it benefits both of them, not just the child, but the other person too. Personally, I think Jeremy looks forward to having some time with Andrew too, and it’s amazing how maybe an hour or an hour and a half of your time makes a big difference to the other person. That quality time they spend, even if it’s just a little thing that they do, makes a big difference. And I can see how happy Andrew comes back.”

It Takes Little to Be Big

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the perfect way to get involved in your community, giving a child the friendship and guidance they are looking for! Jeremy says:

“If you think back to your childhood, I am sure you can think of someone who made a big impact on your future: a teacher, coach, neighbor, family friend, etc. Signing up to be a Big for BBBS is a chance for you to potentially be that difference for a child in your community.”

Mentorship is something every child needs in their life, just a few hours a month could make all the difference to a child’s feelings of support.

“I think that every child could use another adult in their corner, regardless of the support system that they already have in place. Having an additional adult figure in a child’s life that can support, encourage, listen, and give direct time can make a big difference,” Jeremy continued.

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