Being a mentor rewarding beyond words, reporter says
Nick Larsen is a bright 17-year-old who loves playing video games and romping around with his German shepherd, Bear. We haven't always been brothers — but we always will be.
I met Nick the summer before he turned 14, the result of a match by the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. At the time, Nick was having a tough go at school, and I was searching for something fulfilling to do in my free time.
You could say we sorta needed each other.
“It was a perfect match,” Nick told me a couple weeks ago over pizza. “Don't you think?”
Of course, I told him. No question, dude.
I'll never forget how nervous I was the day we met. After a rigorous background check, a visit to my home by a Big Brothers Big Sisters specialist, training and an extensive interview, I found myself knocking on the door of Nick's house in suburban Cook County and wondering how this was all going to play out.
You can imagine my relief when Nick welcomed me in and offered to show me some photos he took of Bear to break the ice. I chuckled to myself at his long hair and the skulls on his T-shirt — both styles I wore as a teenager. His grandmother, Barb, poured me a cup of coffee, and we had the first of what would be many family powwows around the dining room table.
Since then, life hasn't been the same — in a good way. Two to four times a month, I make the 20-minute drive over to Nick's house and pick him up to do something fun. Sometimes it's as simple as grabbing a slice of pizza (pepperoni for us, please) or seeing a movie (something spooky, please).
We've also had grand adventures — a monster truck jam, a magic show at the Geneva home of “The Bozo Show” star Marshall Brodien (aka “Wizzo”), a live newscast at ABC 7 Chicago. And we play pool and golf from time to time, both of which came pretty naturally to Nick.
At home, Nick gets tireless support from his grandmother and grandfather, who love him unconditionally and have raised him since he was young. His uncle Sam is part of his life, too, and somehow — together — we've managed to get through some challenging times.
One early victory was Nick's graduation from eighth grade. It was moving to see Barb's eyes fill with tears and to hear her holler proudly as Nick crossed the stage for his junior high diploma with a big smile on his face.
You can't beat that.
Today, we don't worry so much about Nick acting up in school, but rather about helping him learn to drive, fill out job applications and, most importantly, to cherish his own future.
It isn't always easy, but it is always worthwhile.
I've asked Nick over the years what he likes about the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. His answer usually is quick to include all the fun we have together — but he also sees the bigger picture.
“We're brothers,” he tells me. “We're family.”
It's true. I can't imagine life without Nick and Barb and Bear and the entire Larsen clan. We look out for one another. We celebrate the good together, and work through the difficult together. There really aren't words to describe how personally rewarding it is.
In the end, I think Nick just needed a brother. Turns out, I did too.
Ÿ For information on Big Brothers Big Sisters and its ongoing drive to recruit suburban volunteers, see accompanying story.