Celebrating 20 Years of Friendship
When Big Brother Mike and Little Brother Nick first met, they had no idea that their involvement in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program would lead to a lasting friendship. The pair were matched through the Community Mentoring Program in 2005 and are now celebrating 20 years of friendship.
“He’s always been this consistent role model — someone I can lean upon, depend upon, run questions through, and talk to. That just means the world,” says Nick.
For Mike, the pair’s friendship has been just as meaningful. “My experience has been that I have gained way more than I expected. I get as much out of this relationship as Nick does. It’s a two-way street. You develop this friendship — I don’t think there’s much else like it — it’s very unusual for there to be a 50-year gap between two people, and yet they like to do things together so much.”
A Lasting Friendship, A Lasting Legacy
“The fabric of our community is made up of the connections between people,” says Mike. We don’t often stop to think about the connections we create and the impact we have on the world around us. But each of us, whether we’re aware of it or not, spend our lifetime weaving our legacy.
“My legacy…” Mike pauses. “I don’t think a lot about my legacy. I really focus on what our society needs to be like and supporting one another is such a key part. I’d like to illustrate to people how much fun it can be to be a mentor, and at the same time helping youth and children to develop really well. If anything, I’d like my legacy to be that other people feel it’s worth doing.”
If you’re thinking about your legacy, it’s never too early to start — and Will Power makes it easier than ever. Click here to learn about supporting your family while giving back to your community.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria Capital Region recognizes and respects the lands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Esquimalt and Songhees), Pacheedaht, Scia’new, T’Sou-ke, W̱SÁNEĆ (Malahat, Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum), K’ómoks, Hul’qumi’num and SENĆOŦEN peoples, where we live, work and play.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria Capital Region is committed to sustaining an environment where representation matters, diversity is celebrated, and everyone is welcomed. We believe that each and every individual has limitless potential – this means that all people and their diverse abilities, gender identities and expressions, biological sex identities, 2SLGBTQIA+ identities, races, religions, cultures, and orientations are worthy of support, respect, and empowerment. We honour the diversity and intersectionality of people, families, cultures, traditions, and experiences. We uphold the rights of all our volunteers, youth, families, staff, students, and community to respect, dignity, fairness, caring, equality, self-esteem, and inclusion.
