Little Big Chats: The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee Podcast

Mentoring is more than just an opportunity to volunteer and give back to the community. Students in the Big Brothers Big Sisters club at Carroll University in Waukesha have leveraged their shared experience as mentors to create a campus organization. Together, they make meaningful connections, support one another on their mentorship journeys, and recruit new volunteers for the organization. And in this episode, we chat with four Big Sisters from Carroll University—Ellie, Paige, Gabby, and Cearstin—to discuss what inspired them to join the organization, how they navigate their matches alongside busy academic schedules, and the common myths about volunteering that stop some people from getting involved.

Little Sister Bella doesn't let just anyone into her life. As a freshman in high school, she's at that age where it's not "cool" to get excited about anything, and she's got to play it off chill not matter what. But when she met her Big Sister Marchelle a little more than a year ago, that started to change. Together, they've learned to match "each other's vibe," taking turns picking activities, trying new things together, and never "yucking" someone else's "yum." In this episode, we learn about their adventures together, including ice skating, making cookies, live theater and sampling weird candy from TikTok.

Earlier this month, BBBS of Metro Milwaukee celebrated its 50th anniversary with a huge party on Cathedral Square downtown. At the same time, we cut the ribbon on our new headquarters nearby, cementing the next 50 years of our Milwaukee legacy. For the Little Big Chats Podcast, we spent the entire afternoon chatting with matches, supporters and friends of the program to capture the impact that BBBS has had in its half-century in Milwaukee. And in this episode, we hear from Kevin, a former Big and current member of the Board of Directors, about his experience with BBBS. We also meet Kerry and Camille, a school-based match that has been together for two years.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is all about putting one caring adult mentor together with a young person and letting them work and grow together. But sometimes, these matches... match up AGAIN with another pair. One big and little match pairs up with another, and the two groups end up spending as much time together as they do in their individual duos. So in this episode, we meet Taylor and Xavier, a Mentor 2.0 match who have been together for two years... and their friends Kristof and Isaiah, another Mentor 2.0 match who got together more recently. They'll share their unique story, their love of sports rivalries, and their aspirations for the future, as well as give us a peak at the unique sense of humor that brings them all together.

For Little Brother Nazir, having a Big Brother isn't just about having someone to explore and be active with. It's about having someone challenge him to think, solve and be curious about the big questions in life. Whether it's playing mind-bending puzzle games, reading books on self-improvement, or asking big questions about the nature of the cosmos, his Big Brother Dan is ready to join him in every pursuit. And together, there's no adventure too big for this pair to tackle.

In this episode of Little Big Chats, we speak with Lanelle Ramey and Betty Hill from Mentor Greater Milwaukee about the importance of mentoring relationships, the challenges faced in the mentoring community, and the impact of mentorship on both youth and mentors. We'll discuss our personal stories of mentorship, the importance of cultural humility, and the upcoming National Mentoring Month events aimed at promoting mentoring in the community. We'll also emphasize the need for more mentors and how individuals can get involved to make a difference in the lives of young people.

Mentoring relationships supported by Big Brother Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee can end up being some of the most meaningful relationships in participants' lives. So, when someone's Little Brother or Sister ages out of the program, it can be a minute before they're ready to jump back in and volunteer again. But many former Bigs still want to find other ways to stay engaged with BBBS. So in this episode of Little Big Chats, Dusty speaks with Matt, an alumni big brother and board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee. They discuss the journey of being a big brother and the importance of staying engaged with the organization even after formal mentorship ends. Matt shares his personal experiences, and together, they talk about other opportunities for former Bigs to continue to support the BBBS mission.

With two brothers and two dads, Little Sister Asia was starting to feel like there was nowhere to turn for a little "girl talk." That is, until she met her Big Sister Anna five years ago. Since then, they've developed an indelible bond, cemented in their mutual love of dogs, their senses of humor, and the kind of advice that can only pass from a grown woman to a growing girl.