It Takes Two: The Impact of Mentorship
Originally published in Voices Magazine by Dr. Randy Whetstone, Jr.
BBBS of Kentuckiana CEO Gary Friedman gives Daun’Tre Gerald his graduation cord.
Daun'Tre Gerald, a senior at Seneca High School, cemented Allan Houston as his favorite basketball player. Gerald may have not been born or was too young to witness Houston play live.
So, he did as many Gen Z'ers do: he YouTubed some of his highlight films. He was reminded of his personal interaction he had with the former NBA player.
"My favorite event was the Allan Houston basketball training program. He taught us a lot about our skills, how to shoot, how to play basketball better, and (to) know what's on the court and what's off the court ... and he became one of my favorite players."
This life-changing moment will never be forgotten. For a young man who faced some challenging circumstances in middle school, it was a Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Kentuckiana program that helped shape his outlook on life and to overcome obstacles.
As a mentee, Daun'Tre has learned how to express himself as well as accountability and responsibility.
Daun'Tre's "Big" has been Taylor Phillips, who learned about the opportunity to serve with BBBS through his church. He reminiscences about his time as a mentee and was inspired to give back to someone else.
"Someone impacted my life outside my family when I was growing up. It changed my life ... having someone I could lean on," Phillips says.
BBBSKY's mentorship model has mutually benefitting effects on both the mentor and mentee. While mentees learn and grow from someone older and more experienced than them, mentors grow and evolve in their adulthood also.
"When Daun'Tre and I met he was 12. Now I have boys that are 7 and 9," Phillips adds. "Seeing the things he thought about, the questions he was asking, and the decisions he was needing to make at that time were super helpful for me to re-live that time and know some of the struggles some of those young men go through ... everything Daun'Tre may have gained from this, I have gained tenfold."
Gerald aspires to have a family one day and has admired Taylor's example as a husband and father in saying "Taylor is a very good man, and he has shown me what it's like to have a family."
Jazmin Martinez is now enrolled in Big Futures and serves as a brand ambassador for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana.
Elizabeth Kuhn, (the "Big") for Jazmin Martinez, remembers when she first met Jazmin. She was "not shy" and very "articulate" and "she was interested in me as much as I was interested in her.”
A few years later, Martinez, now a senior at Pleasure Ridge Park High School, became a BBBS scholarship awardee. The importance of building trust overtime gave Jazmin the confidence in her relationship with Elizabeth.
Through their events and outings together, she expresses her gratitude for things she was able to see and experience from a mentorship relationship that evolved into a "friendship.”
"Our relationship continues to grow", Martinez said with a smile while looking at Elizabeth. "You're like my friend now, and my sister."
The Big-Little mentoring relationship is designed to see each young person's maturation unfold. Elizabeth saw a seventh grade Jazmin who was hard-working, dedicated, knew what she wanted (in life), and was always eager to help. She had all the qualities in the present-day that she calls "unique.”
"Jazmin has always been a confident person, but she has become more confident in all aspects of herself. A big part of that is she always says yes to opportunities, to invitations, to adventures, and she is just willing. So, it is important to have that exposure to who she is today."
In its rich history, BBBS continues to provide exposure and opportunities for youth and young adults. BBBS of Kentuckiana impacted over 2,300+ lives in 2022. Whether it is community one-on-one mentoring, site-based programs (business, school-to-work, school setting), group mentoring, or programming designed for 16-25-year-olds, the mission remains the same: "Create and support one-on-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth".
CEO Gary Friedman speaks to BBBS of Kentuckiana staff during an outing at Churchill Downs.
"The key to mentoring is consistency", says Gary Friedman, CEO of BBBS of Kentuckiana. "I am thrilled to be here for over two years and see the true impact that mentorship has on our community.
"Mentorship pulls it all together. From workforce development, mental health, in all areas of education and growth in confidence and self-esteem. Having someone in your corner has a life-changing impact right here in Kentuckiana."
There is a place for you to become a Big and mentor younger generations. For those whose personal mission aligns with BBBSKY, you can leave an impact that will change the trajectory of one's life.
"It takes 2. Two people, a Big and a Little, two visits a month, two hours a visit, to create these meaningful relationships that truly provide the impact of a mentor for a lifetime. All we ask is that you, as the adult, care about young people, and you will be amazed at how much you get out of it as well."
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana is the embodiment of “It Takes Two” and a constant reminder of trans-generational relationships that positively impact youth to be leaders, thinkers, and socially responsible for now and their tomorrow.