MATCH STORIES

Big Julie and Little Tashyra’s match is a powerful example of how meaningful relationships can grow through patience, consistency, and commitment.

Matched on June 20, 2019, the two initially struggled to connect. Tashyra was shy and reserved, and on the surface, they seemed very different. However, over time, they remained committed to building their relationship and slowly formed a genuine bond.

Throughout the years, Julie and Tashyra created many special memories together, including dinners, a boat ride, viewing Christmas lights, attending a baseball game, attending the Asian Lantern Festival, going to the movies, and more. These shared experiences helped Tashyra grow in confidence while allowing trust and connection to flourish between them.

Their match officially closed due to Julie relocating and Tashyra graduating, but their relationship remained meaningful through the end. Julie proudly attended Tashyra’s graduation and later celebrated their journey together with a special dinner, where she gifted Tashyra a personalized photo album documenting their memories over the years.

Today, Tashyra is attending college at Tri-C and majoring in massage therapy. Their match reflects the lasting impact mentorship can have when someone continues to show up, care, and believe in a young person.

Big Konner and Little Brayden developed a match relationship that helped propel Brayden’s dreams forward. Brayden shared with Konner his desire for a job and future interest in working in the food industry. Together Konner and Brayden drove around Cleveland seeking high school employment opportunities at local food establishments. Brayden secured an after-school job while solidifying his interest in studying culinary arts after high school.

With the support of BBBS, Konner and Brayden even signed up for a cooking class at Stir Studio Kitchen where he had the experience of creating new dishes and meeting with the Chef after class. Brayden continued to map out his future with the support of Konner and after graduation is continuing his education in pursuit of becoming a personal chef.

Big Patrick and Little Arvell were together over eight years in our program. Football was always a big part of their outings, whether it was going to a Brown's game, going to see Arvell's biological brother's football games, or Patrick coming to watch Arvell play at his games - football was something they enjoyed doing together.

Patrick was always supportive of Arvell's goal to play football in college and in the NFL. Since they were together for so long, they really became like family to one another - they celebrated around the holidays together by getting both of their families together and sharing a meal.

Their relationship maintained strong as Arvell got busier in high school with college recruitment, but they talked on the phone a few times a month and Arvell knew that Patrick was always there to support and guide him.

Patrick attended Arvell's high school graduation (as pictured). The next day, Arvell moved into his dorm room at The Ohio State University where he played football for three years before he was drafted as the fifth pick in the NFL for the New York Giants in April 2026. They are still in touch today!

Big Keith and Little Chris developed a meaningful match relationship that broadened Chris’s future dreams. Keith supported Chris in beginning a local neighborhood snow shoveling business. Keith provided mentorship guidance on Chris’ marketing materials and sales pitch approach and supported him in his ideas to hire/enlist peers to expand business efforts. As the winter season ended, Chris expressed his desire to learn and practice entrepreneurship skills.

With guidance from agency staff and support of Big Brother Keith, Chris became involved with the Young Entrepreneur Institute showcasing and selling art through their Young Entrepreneur Market. Keith continued to coach Chris on his pitch/sales approach and helped him build a display case for his art while providing him hands on experience to construct an item from scratch. With Keith’s mentorship support, Chris has gained new skills and learning experiences that have opened new pathways for Chris to explore.