Q & A with Big Brother Marc Paulo and Little Brother Jayson

What is was like waiting to be matched with each other?

Marc Paulo: I loved the on-boarding and training process prior! BBBS was so thorough and holistic in the matching process that I felt confident about it even though I was very excited and somewhat nervous about whether or not he would like me or if we were a good match.

What it was like meeting each other for the first time?

Jayson: I was very shy when we first met but I’ve opened up a lot since then.

Marc Paulo: I was so happy there were prompts that we can talk about during our first time chatting, including favorite color, TV shows, etc. We had a lot of overlap, including the fact that he loved Pokemon. At his age more than 20 years ago I was also obsessed with Pokemon so that was a fun connection.

What do you enjoy the most about your match?

Marc Paulo: I love how much we have in common but also how different we are. I’m an extreme extrovert and he’s more shy with people he doesn’t know well, so I had to adjust very quickly to make sure he’s comfortable. He’s someone who listens very well, is very attentive, very considerate, very “in the moment”, and he’s taught me so many lessons just be being himself.

Favorite match activities?

Jayson: UVA sporting events, playing Among Us, watching silly Youtube videos, getting apple cider donuts at Carter Mountain Orchard.

Marc Paulo: We went canoeing on the Rivanna River one summer and have gone golfing a few times. Of course the countless UVA basketball and soccer games – the players even knew him that’s how often we went!

Hopes for the future/new goals you are working on together?

We’re going to venture out into more outdoors, hiking, kayaking/canoeing. Also excited about trying more day trips when things open up!