I’ll admit it. I was one of those guys that was apprehensive about being a mentor. Would we have stuff to talk about? What interests would we share? Would we even get along? Despite my uncertainties, I decided to take the plunge. 

Brian was nine-years-old when we were first matched. We quickly discovered we had much in common, which probably says more about me than him! We realized we shared a love for games and movies, especially scary ones! 

As he grew older, I wanted to “share the responsibility” of our activities, and we would alternate who decided what we would do next. Sometimes it was visiting a place that neither of us had been to. Sometimes it was going to a movie or miniature golf. Other times we would try new food – that was my first and last time trying octopus! 

Before I knew it, Brian was a teenager. Although most mentoring programs ask for at least a year commitment, I knew I was in it for the long haul. I realized this mentorship had become a friendship, and I would always be there for him. 

When the pandemic hit, we quickly improvised. We couldn’t be together in person, but we would watch movies together virtually. He would pick something one week, and I would choose the next. The best part is that we could chat with each other during the entire movie – something we couldn’t do in the theater! 

One of the secrets not always shared is that the mentor gets just as much out of it as the mentee. Brian is now nineteen-years-old as we enter our tenth year of mentoring. We have undergone many changes over the years, but we have always been there for each other. 

Soon our formal mentorship through BBBS will conclude, but I know our friendship will continue, and I will always look back and know I made the right decision to become a mentor. 

Thank you for being a wonderful and supportive Big Brother in our program, Robert! Interested in becoming a Big Brother yourself? Enroll today at https://www.bbbsomaha.org/be-a-big/