Brandon and Carlitos recently celebrated their one-year match anniversary at our Anniversary Celebration!! The pair focus on having fun, learning together, and building a strong friendship. They enjoy activities like going to the park or utilizing our partnership with the YMCA to play basketball, kickball, football, and soccer. They have also taken advantage of Team Big! opportunities to go sailing, fly fishing, and doing a Ninja Warrior challenge course. All of these activities encourage inquiry, patience, and support from each other. After a few months of doing activities Carlitos said of Brandon, “I feel like he’s a good guy because we like to do lots of the same things like sports and we are energetic and like to do outdoor activities. Brandon is nice and supports me a lot and listens to what I say.”
School and education are another focus area for Carlitos and Brandon. They carve out some time during their hangouts to do homework or to go over Carlitos’ current classroom topics before diving into something more fun. During the week, Brandon checks in over the phone about upcoming tests or projects Carlitos is working on and he encourages Carlitos to develop positive habits to manage and complete his schoolwork. Anjelina, Carlitos’s mom, really appreciates this because she sees Brandon as a significant addition to Carlitos’ support system and someone who can help him be successful in whatever he may do in life. Together, they all celebrated Carlitos’ 5th-grade graduation and continuation celebration this past spring.
Carlitos and Brandon combine education and fun hangouts by exploring their different entrepreneurial interests like learning to grill and holding a very successful lemonade stand. Brandon enjoys getting to know Carlitos and he describes him as observant, athletic, fun, and talented. Brandon looks forward to continuing to support Carlitos’ interests and leadership development as Carlitos moves into middle school and they move into the second year of their match.