Little Xavier & Big Bob: 2024 Match of the Year

Little Brother Xavier was 12 years old when he first joined the BBBS mentoring program and wanted another friend in his life. His mom, Mimi, hoped that a Big would provide opportunities for Xavier to be more active and have a positive male influence in his life. Mimi was previously a Little and shared how much fun she had.

Big Brother Bob had first heard about BBBS as a child when his neighbor had a Big Brother. He loves helping young people learn and grow into the people they want to be. Bob’s interest in the program was sparked recently after speaking with his friend who is currently a Big.

Xavier and Bob were matched in October 2020 and have both common and differing interests, and Bob could provide a patient, understanding, and supportive environment for Xavier. During the first match meeting, Xavier was excited to learn that Bob and his family is of Hispanic heritage, so Xavier can learn more about his Hispanic side of himself. Xavier, Bob, Mimi, and their BBBS Mentoring Relationship Specialist also determined that through this mentoring relationship, they would help encourage Xavier to explore what he wants to do in life; believe in himself and apply his strengths to areas of self-doubt; and open up to Bob to have someone outside his family with whom to talk.

Xavier and Bob’s first outing together was a fall foliage hike at Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park followed by ice cream from Culver’s as a reward! Since they were matched during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xavier and Bob found lots of ways to connect virtually over Zoom and playing games together. During their time together, Bob has taken time to teach Xavier some Spanish to learn more about their heritage, as well as enjoy fun activities like mini golf, go-kart racing, and fishing.

As Xavier has entered high school and begun to think about what’s next for him, Bob and Xavier have attended more Big Futures: Career & College Readiness program activities, like the Career Exploration Day and Ivy Tech College Visit plus the Etiquette Dinner. They are starting to look into internships that Xavier can be a part of to continue his exploration and development for career pathways. Bob has always encouraged Xavier to think big, and Xavier has hopes to going into the tech world and build his own inventions and business. Xavier has broken out of his shell and enjoys connecting with people more freely – even participating in a recent news interview on behalf of BBBS of Central Indiana!

Xavier still has another year of high school ahead of him, and we can’t wait to see what he choose to do next. Congratulations to Xavier and Bob for the strong relationship and friendship they have built through the past four years and more!

Watch the video above to hear more from Xavier and Bob.