BBBSNEW Blog

Each month, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin shines a light on the relationships that we are helpof Shawano and Little Sister Morgan, both of Shawano — our Shawano County Match of the Month for March.

Where did you hear about Big Brothers Big Sisters?

Jordan Opperman: BBBS is a well-known and respected organization. I had always thought it would be great to participate. When I read in the Shawano paper a chapter was starting in Shawano, I became involved.

Why did you want to have a Big Brother or Big Sister? 

Morgan: So that I would be able to learn from the experiences they had in life.

Why did you want to become involved?

JO: I enjoy spending time with kids. Building a meaningful relationship with my little has been great fun! She and I both have similar interests and a quirky sense of humor.

What do you do when you spend time together? 

M: We do a lot of different crafts like knitting and diamond painting. We also make cakes and cupcakes.

What do you do when you spend time together?

JO: Morgan and I typically do creative activities such as knitting, pottery, card making, diamond painting, decorating cupcakes and cutout cookies. These are activities we learned together and we are hoping to learn more.

Is there something in particular that stands out as a memorable time with your Little?

JO: Every time I spend time with Morgan she continues to impress me. She is now working her first job, getting her driver’s license, planning her classes for her junior year in high school, talking about career paths and exploring college experiences. Spending time with her and seeing her explore her interests is memorable. Morgan is very creative and has exceptional talent in creating visual arts.

Is there something in particular that stands out as a memorable time with your Big? 

M: We made a cake for my Dad on Father’s Day that was the shape of a Packers Helmet. He doesn’t like the Packers so we put an X across the Logo on the helmet. I had fun making it and I’ll never forget his face when he saw it.

Is there something in the future that you would like to do together, or that you look forward to experiencing together?

JO: I’m not sure how to answer this! We seem to take activity interests as they come along. I personally am looking forward to being part of the remainder of her high school years and her high school graduation. I look forward to being involved in her life as she goes to college and after.

What have you enjoyed about being a Big?

JO: Spending time together doing creative activities and making and developing new interests. Doing projects together gives us time to talk one-to-one. We like to go to the local café and coffee shop to get together and talk and do our projects.

In what way has being matched with your Little affected you and your life?

JO: Being matched with Morgan has been satisfying as I continue to get to know her better and doing things together. It is so fun to see her develop toward adulthood and look forward to seeing her into the future.

What would you say to others about Big Brothers Big Sisters and to others who are thinking about becoming a Big?

JO: Be A Big…. you won’t regret it!