MIKE & NICK—Little Moments, Big Confidence

When Mike signed up to be a Big, his plan was simple: show up, listen, have fun. A year in, easygoing hangouts have become steady wins—more confidence, more curiosity, and a trusted adult in Nick’s corner.


Three Hours of Lights & Laughter
Arcade glow, the thump of hoops, the whir of racing games—this is their reset button after a long week. Nick nails a prize from the claw machine and they split a pizza while replaying the funniest moments on the drive home. “We went to the arcade and played games for a couple hours… We also grabbed some pizza afterward,” Mike says. Nick’s mom, Andrea, adds: “Nick came home all excited about the games and prizes.”


One Big Leap (with a Taco Bell Victory Lap)
The leap isn’t a stunt—it’s confidence. After a few wobbly starts, Nick chooses to keep trying until the ride feels steadier and he can tell he’s improving. Mike jogs alongside, coaching and cheering; they mark the progress with a crunchy-taco celebration. “We practiced riding my bike and went to the park and played catch,” Nick says—and back home, his mom Andrea simply summed it up: “Nikolaus came home saying they had a great time.”


Where Invention Sparks Big Dreams
At Greenfield Village, Nick lingers by the Model T and the Edison workshop, learning how ideas become real. You can see him connecting the dots between curiosity and career. “He really liked the Model T Ford and the Edison Workshop… He was asking a lot of questions about how everything worked,” Mike says. And on the ride home, Nick declares: “I wanna be an engineer and build cool stuff. I like putting things together.”


Kindness at the Kitchen Table
Right before Thanksgiving, the kitchen table becomes a card-making station—markers, stickers, big-hearted ideas. Nick chooses the colors and words to brighten a stranger’s day at Beaumont Cancer Center. Nick recalls, “It felt really good to do something nice for people who might need some extra kindness.”


Moments like this do more than warm hearts; they build habits. Acts of service give young people practice in empathy, agency, and purpose—and in BBBS, those small “civic reps” stack into long-term outcomes like stronger emotional wellness, deeper family connection, and, over time, more connected communities.


The Quiet Miles That Build Trust
On the ride home, the energy settles. They replay the funniest moments, trade inside jokes, and talk through what’s coming up next week—tests, practice, what they might try next time. Before Nick hops out, there’s always a quick check-in in the driveway; the predictability makes space for honesty. “I do my best to show Nick that he has tons of support and that he can do anything when he applies himself,” Mike says. That’s where trust grows—between seatbelt clicks and see-you-soons.


Nick’s mom, Andrea, sees it too: “Yes, Mike’s been great. They click really well, and Nick looks forward to their hangouts.”

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