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 their son, 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.”
