“I viewed our Match relationship more like a friendship than anything.” –Wrug, Big Brother.
The first time that Big Brother Wrug met Little Brother Andrew, the conversation didn’t exactly flow. In fact, Andrew was a shy 6th grader communicating mostly through nods and one-word answers.
Wrug, a finance professional trying to find common ground, broke through the awkward phase through consistency. He didn’t try to be a teacher or a parent, he simply showed up.
Andrew and Wrug bonded first over the universal language of sports and competition – going to Giants games, playing tennis and monopoly. Yet early on in the relationship, the dynamic of their relationship started to change because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A shy kid who was already struggling, Andrew found it difficult to comprehend with the new reality they faced. Wrug’s presence at that time was crucial.
During the pandemic, they adapted their relationship. Andrew and Wrug bonded over Roblox, where Andrew was able to show Wrug his world, allowing the opportunity for him to become the teacher in a certain respect.
They worked on homework sets together, and it seemed that a mutual learning opportunity had risen as Andrew’s interests shifted. As they came out of the pandemic, conversations started to flow more easily, and went from one-word answers to lengthy talks over basketball.
Andrew entered high school, and Wrug continued to help break awkward silences. This consistent effort that Wrug showed ended up opening Andrew up to conversation.
“Wrug helped break awkward silences, asking questions. It helped me talk about myself and get to know him better.” –Andrew, Little Brother.
Wrug opened Andrew to new possibilities simply by talking about his own workday. Andrew felt that this new perspective on what a career could look like expanded his worldview.
After 8 years of mentorship, the shy 6th grader had grown to be a high school senior facing a daunting college application process. But because Wrug had instilled that confidence in Andrew, breaking awkward silences, Andrew was comfortable sharing his essays during the process.
Now a college freshman studying Psychology, the steps that Wrug took to simply make Andrew feel more comfortable have benefited him as a young adult. He isn’t just attending college; he’s thriving.
Wrug’s advice to future Bigs is simple: “Don’t overthink it! It’s not as structured as you may think… trying to be a friend for someone is as much for your benefit as it is for the kid.”
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