We are thrilled to announce the 2025 Bigs & Littles of the Year

Big Liz and Little Mickey

Mickey’s life changed overnight when she was nine years old. Her family moved from everything they knew in Colorado to Oregon and became homeless when they couldn’t secure housing right away. Her parents’ relationship was unhealthy, and they were on the verge of splitting up. These serious life changes were starting to affect Mickey at school, where she was struggling with her grades.

One day, Mickey returned from school with a form to participate in a Big Brothers Big Sisters program called Beyond School Walls, in which Mickey and her peers would be connected with mentors at a local company, M Financial. Mickey’s mom, Jenifer, didn’t hesitate to sign her up. It was through this program that Mickey first met her Big Sister, Liz.

“It happened at the perfect moment,” Jenifer said. “Liz was a blessing in disguise. She was somebody for her to count on, to guide my daughter while I’m trying to figure out my life.”

Liz jumped at the chance to join Beyond School Walls. She was at a phase in her life where she wasn’t feeling happy or satisfied and had been looking for community opportunities to get involved with kids. Her mentor recommended the program.

When Liz first met Mickey, she could tell she was a fun, quirky, smart kid. She loved making silly faces in pictures but was also honest and wise beyond her years. It was clear that Mickey was very intelligent and needed to be challenged to stay out of trouble.

After Beyond School Walls ended, Liz and Mickey chose to continue their friendship through Big Brothers Big Sisters. The two are proud of their wide range of interests and have gone on outings together ranging from hiking and snowshoeing, to attending a game for every Portland-based professional sports team (they like the Winterhawks best), a heavy metal concert, the Oregon Symphony, and so much more. Being involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters has given Mickey the opportunity to do things she’s never done before or couldn’t otherwise afford.

Mickey and Liz have also discovered that they share a love for performing arts and the theater. Liz has attended every one of Mickey’s plays. Mickey was the lead in her middle school production of Anne of Green Gables and was cast as the “swing” member of her high school’s production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, where she was the understudy for every member of the cast.

“Mickey has made me a better person,” Liz said. “I now have these two little eyes on me. It makes me more aware of the impact of my actions.”

In the six years since being matched with Liz, Mickey has gone from being an inconsistent student to being on the honor roll with straight A’s and the student speaker at her 8th grade graduation.

Mickey describes Liz as kind, smart, sweet, an attentive listener, and someone who gives great advice.

“If I had to name the top two people I’ve ever met, Liz would not be number two,” Mickey said.

Jenifer said she hopes that Mickey will grow up to be just like Liz. She wants her to be empowered to do whatever her heart wants to do and know that the future has endless possibilities for her.

Big Sean and Little Mar’Cael

Mar’Cael’s mother, Tamika, had a wonderful experience with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a child, so she knew she wanted her kids to have that same opportunity.

It was easy for her daughters, but Tamika and her partner, JJ, hesitated when it came time to enroll Mar’Cael. Nine-year-old Mar’Cael had always been quiet and introverted. He didn’t open up to new people easily, and he preferred staying at home to going out. However, Mar’Cael loves spending time with his dad, and they wanted him to have another positive male role model in his life. Eventually, they all decided to give it a try, and Mar’Cael was matched with Big Brother Sean.

Sean grew up with several mentors who invested a lot of time, energy, and love into his life, and he felt inspired to give that positive energy back to young people in his community in the same way. He’s been a Big since 2006 in different states and decided to continue the program when he moved to Oregon.

Sean and Mar’Cael’s first outing was a little awkward. They were both quiet, mostly listening to the radio in the car instead of talking. Soon, they found a common interest in sports. Mar’Cael loves football, and lit up when they talked about their favorite players and teams.

Naturally, Mar’Cael opened up more as he spent more time with Sean. He’s been teaching Sean about video games, and Sean, who works in aviation, has gotten Mar’Cael into model airplanes, rockets, and flying drones. Mar’Cael’s parents love that Sean has encouraged him to give back to the community, as the pair volunteers to deliver meals during the holidays each year. Of course, they both still love sports. At every one of Mar’Cael’s football games, you’ll find Sean sitting in the front row.

When asked about their favorite memory together, the answer came easy: the rocket. Sean and Mar’Cael built a model rocket together, then took it out to launch it over 100 feet in the air.

“I could see a lightbulb coming on in him,” Sean said. “I don’t know if he’s going to pursue aviation, but to introduce a young person to something they’ve never seen before is really cool.”

Mar’Cael said his life is better since he’s known Sean. He’s become less shy, and more willing to hang out with friends outside of the house. JJ said Mar’Cael is now willing and open to going out anywhere with Sean.

“When we put down what we wanted in a Big, I never thought it would be as perfect as it was,” Tamika said. “Sean has become part of the family.”