Each year Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Indiana honors our “Matches of the Year”. We had 10 matches of the year in 2021, and each of these matches was interviewed for a series of short videos.
We weren’t able to fit everything into the Match of the Year videos, so here’s a deeper look into one of 2021’s strongest matches!
Big Brother Tim and Little Brother Devin have been matched since December of 2018, and supported all along the way by Tim’s mom, Bianca.
Tim became a Big because his life was molded by mentors, and he wanted to pass that benefit on. We asked Tim what his favorite memory with Devin was, and he answered that it was a Pacer’s game they went to early on in their match. They sat way up in the nosebleeds but had a great view of the whole game. Tim remembers this as one of their best experiences because “Devin really enjoyed it. He loves basketball, so it was a good opportunity for us to connect”.
We asked Tim what words he would use to describe Devin, and he said, “Devin is a kind, sweet young man. He’s honest, open, friendly, and has integrity. And he’s really funny at times – he cracks me up.”
We asked Devin what his favorite memory with Tim was, and he shared that it was that Pacer’s game as well. He still remembers that the Pacers were playing the Bucks and described in detail the moment when Buck’s player Giannis dunked right over the Pacer’s defense.
Devin described Tim as a “kind, caring person who will help anyone out if they need it”.
We asked Bianca how she has seen Devin change since he met Tim, and the first thing she said was that his confidence has grown. She sees that Devin has had the opportunity to open up because they have such similar interests. “They both have a passion for sports and for movies. Marvel movies in particular”, Bianca added.
She shared that as a single mother, she’s relieved that she doesn’t have to worry that Devin is missing out because she’s “trying to juggle too many things at one time”. She knows that with Tim there, Devin has someone to talk to. He has someone to share his ideas with.
When asked to describe Devin, Bianca said, “He is extremely intelligent. He may be quiet, but he possesses a lot of knowledge. He’s hardworking and ambitious. He’s just a great kid, and I’m not just saying that because he’s my son, he’s a really great kid.”
There are over 1,000 kids just like Devin on our waitlist. They’re waiting for a mentor, for someone to stand in their corner. Learn more about how you could make an impact, like Tim, as a Big.