Brad, Kelly & Nolan
We became a Big Couple to Nolan shortly after his family moved to Olathe, KS, towards 
the end of last summer. Since then we've become very close and shared quite a few experiences.
Every time Kelly and I pick him up, the first thing we ask him about is school. His strongest subject is spelling, and he frequently spells out the hardest words for us, as he is very proud of his abilities. He has a lot of energy, and because of this, we find every excuse to hang out outside. He loves our indoor pool at our complex, and really likes to toss the football around. If we don't cook at home, we'll walk to McDonald's to get some exercise (his favorite food is chicken nuggets). Read entire story....
A Surprise Attachment, Times Two! – Big Brother Tyler Groepper and Little Brothers Daniel & Daquan
Tyler Groepper grew up the youngest of 3 kids. These days, he's the oldest - since becoming matched to Little Brothers Daniel and Daquan in the BBBS program. Tyler says being a Big Brother has filled a void in his life, and Daniel and Daquan, brothers in real life, have given him an enormous sense of pride. Read more...
Meant to be together - Barry & Adam
Out of nearly 5,500 applicants, Little Brother Adam and his Big Brother, Barry Casey, made it in the top 10. The category: Father of the Year. “I don’t know what my life would be like if I didn’t have Barry in it,” Adam’s award-winning essay reads. “He’s been my Big Brother for five years now! He hasn’t given up on me yet…He really understands me…I can take almost any problem to him. He is like a father to me.”
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An Instant Bond - Erinne' and Brittany
Erinne’ Morgan feels blessed to have had numerous role models in her life. She decided to become a Big Sister in order to be one for someone else. That someone else is her Little Sister, Brittany, a hip and witty 14-year-old. The first time the two met, it was like they had known each other for years. Nearly three years since being matched, Erinne’ sees nothing but great things in their future together.
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Keepin' it Real - Isaac and Jeremy
For being matched just two and a half years, Big Brother Isaac Nugent and his Little Brother Jeremy are still getting to know each other. But from the beginning, the two have built their friendship upon trust, respect and keepin' it real. Despite their differences in age (nearly forty years) and inches (Jeremy currently stands a few inches taller than his Big), the two have been equals from the start. Read more...
Tying a Big Knot - Kelly and Elecia; Steve and Christian
Big Sister Kelly Smith never imagined that Big Brothers Big Sisters would play such a big part in her life when she met her Little Sister, Elecia, back in 1998. But it sure has. Nearly a decade later, the two are still matched. Elecia, now a senior in high school, was even a part of Kelly's recent wedding - as her junior bridesmaid. AndKelly's newlywed husband, Steve Stewman, is now a part of the BBBS program himself. Inspired by Kelly's friendship with Elecia, he became a Big Brother to his own Little Brother, Christian. Read more...
Two Peas in a Pod - Rich and Deandte
For being matched just a year, Rich Taylor and his Little 
Brother Deandte have overcome many challenges and made incredible strides in their friendship. Despite a delay in really opening up with each other, today the two are best friends. Just like each of their personalities, their connection is very quiet and unspoken, but it has grown as strong as Super Glue. Read more...
A One-of-a-Kind Friendship - Adrienne and Kayla
Adrienne Smith was used to having friendships with children before she signed up to become a Big Sister. Before she moved to Kansas City, she had very close relationships with her cousin’s kids. When she had to leave that behind, however, she decided to sign up with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. “I missed having a child friend in my life,” she said. Read more...
Overcoming Expectations - Jorge, Jason and Michelle
Over the years it would have been easy for Jorge to make excuses for the way his life turned out. His father has been in and out of jail, and has very little contact with him. He lives with his mom, a single working mother of three teenagers. Jorge is the youngest, and oftentimes gets overshadowed by his two older siblings. At nine years old, Jorge's mom enrolled him in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. She wanted him to receive a little more one-on-one attention, and have a male role model in his life. In the spring of 2003 he was introduced to Jason and Michelle Kruse, a newly married Big Couple from Olathe. Little did Jorge know, but there years later he would find himself a completely changed person thanks to these two special people. Read More...
Growing Up Together - Kayla and Sally
Hi everyone, my name is Sally Shughart. My Little Sister Kayla and I have been matched for five years. I am honored to tell you all a little bit about our Match Story. In the fall of 2001, I met a Big Brothers Big Sisters representative at The University of Kansas during my first year of Medical School. I decided that I wanted to join the program to make an impact on a child's life and to also have an excuse to do fun kid stuff. Read More...
The Coolest Guy in the Word - Russ and Ric
Back in the mid-90’s, if you were looking for a poster child to represent at-risk youth, 10-
year-old Ric McBath of Liberty certainly would have fit the bill. Raised by a single mother on welfare, Ric was lucky if he saw his father three or four times a year. Although he had two brothers and two sisters, Ric describes his family as “distant.” As for role models, neither of his brothers finished high school and they both ended up in jail. His sisters were depressed and angry at the world. They ran around with the wrong crowd and moved away from home as soon as they could. Read More...
