Black Hawk County Community Based Big of the Year:

Emily Borcherding

Emily is no stranger to Big Brothers Big Sisters.  Her first Big Brothers Big Sisters experience began in 2004 when she was paired with her first Little.  Over time, the match grew, her Little went on to attend college, joined the Army, and Emily pursued her Master's degree.  After completing her degree, Emily contacted Big Brothers Big Sisters with interest in serving as a mentor to another child.

In 2013, Emily and Kaitlyn were matched and began their journey together.  Kaitlyn's father was searching for another adult to provide guidance and companionship.  Emily has gone above and beyond her mentoring role by supporting Kaitlyn's interest.  Emily attends Kaitlyn's concerts and sporting events and has introduced her to new experiences such as taking Kaityln to her first UNI Panthers game.  What was once a new experience, has now become one of Kaitlyn and Emily's favorite things to do together.  Emily and Kaitlyn can be found participating in community events as well as frequent attendees at the Big Brothers Big Sisters match activities.

Emily's commitment doesn't stop at being a Big, she continues to serve as a strong advocate of the Big Brothers Big Sisters mission.  She encourages others to support Big Brothers Big Sisters by volunteering as a mentor or participating in agency fundraisers.

Emily truly makes a difference in her Little's life and has helped the agency bring about great change in the community.

Congratulations Emily!

                                   

Bremer County Community Based Big of the Year:

Brittany Schmitt

Consistent and reliable are two words that perfectly describe Brittany Schmitt, Bremer County’s Community Based Big of the Year.  After being matched with her Little Sister, Mackenzie, in March of 2013 she has consistently spent time with her – very rarely going a week or two without a visit.

Mackenzie really enjoys the time that she gets to spend with Brittany and was happy to hear that she received the Big of the Year nomination.  “She deserves it because we have a lot of fun together,” said Mackenzie about the award.  The match enjoys spending time together doing a wide variety of activities and attending Big Brothers Big Sisters match events. Mackenzie’s mother is very happy to have her involved in the program and feels that Brittany is a great Big Sister.

“I have learned a lot from Mackenzie and have enjoyed my time with her so far.  I hope to continue to grow our relationship and mentor her in a positive way,” states Brittany in regards to her involvement in the program thus far.

Congratulations on a great achievement! 

Black Hawk County School Based Big of the Year:

Jim Grandon

You may recall the November Match Spotlight story featuring Big Brother, Jim and Little Brother, Damarius.  After reading this match story, I'm sure it is no surprise why we would like to honor Jim as the 2014 Black Hawk County School Based Big of the Year!  Read his match story below and help us congratulate Jim for his many years of dedication and profound service to his Little Brother, Damarius...

Jim and Damarius first met in September 2008 when Damarius was in 4th grade at Dr. Walter Cunningham School for Excellence.  Jim, being a retired community member, and having a granddaughter as a teacher at Cunningham, thought volunteering his time with Big Brothers Big Sisters would be put to good use in an effort to help a child succeed.

Damarius and Jim were originally paired in the School Based program and would meet at Damarius’ school every week.  Together, they would play board games, go to the computer lab, read together and work on math.  Damarius especially enjoyed the times Jim would bring him McDonald’s!

Fast forward to May 2012, when Jim and Damarius decided to expand their friendship in order to continue seeing each other during the summer break.  Jim approached Big Brothers Big Sisters with the idea of meeting during the school breaks after he received a thank you note from Damarius.  In the note, Damarius mentioned how he didn't like when summer comes around because he likes seeing Jim every week.  Big Brothers Big Sisters made the arrangements with Jim, Damarius and Damarius’ mother to give this match the opportunity to see each other outside of school by transferring the match from School Based to School Based Plus.

Fast forward again to present day.  Jim and Damarius are still chugging along meeting every week in school, as well as frequent visits outside of school.  They continue to focus on Damarius’ homework and education during their visits, but also enjoy grabbing a hamburger together, working on household projects and attending UNI games.  Jim can be found in the bleachers cheering Damarius on at his own athletic events.

Damarius, now a sophomore in high school, values his time with Jim a great deal.  He appreciates the support and guidance he receives from his Big Brother, especially relating to his education.  Jim has taught Damarius several life lessons along the way and continue to fuel Damarius’ interest of cooking by teaching him new recipes and giving him the opportunity to cook during their time together.

Reflecting back on the last six years with Jim, Damarius says the following, “The last few years have been great.  It has really changed my life because right now I wouldn't be doing so good.  I used to always be angry all the time, but then I started smiling more and being happy.  Now I’m happy all the time.”  Damarius looks forward to his future ahead and tells Big Brothers Big Sisters his future will be one that steers away from violence, drugs and other negative factors.  Damarius believes that with his Big Brother by his side, anything is possible.

Congratulations Jim!

Bremer County School Based Big of the Year:

AMANDA STARK

Amanda Stark began her time with Big Brothers Big Sisters in April of 2013.  She was matched with her Little Brother, David, in the School Based program.  David was an English Language Learning student and struggled with appropriate communication and positive social interactions.

Amanda was very patient, allowing David time to open up and get comfortable with spending time with a new person.  There were many communication barriers, as David continued to learn the English language and adapt to the school setting.  Amanda stayed consistent with her visits and learned to keep things simple in their time together.

In the almost two years of being matched, David’s teacher has seen drastic improvements in his social abilities and feels that Amanda has been a great asset in helping him succeed in this area. His teacher also noted the excitement that he has each day that Amanda comes to visit and knows that she does a lot of great activities with him.

David enjoys reading books to Amanda, drawing pictures and playing games when they can.  He looks forward to every visit and says that the only thing he would change is for Amanda to visit every day instead of just once a week!

Congratulations Amanda!

December Matches and January Anniversaries

Big Brothers Big Sisters would like to WELCOME the following new matches made in December:

Nicole Gaede and Jersey
Alex Merfeld and Azunie


CONGRATS to the following matches reaching their anniversary during the month of January:

One Year:
Erin Bird and Quinton
Perla Quintanilla and Emily

Two Years:
Holli Rutherford and Taylor
Andrew Simpson and Keyshawn

Five Years: 
Barbara Lutz and Hannah
Kristin Vowell and Faith

Six Years:
Katie Bjerke and Jasmine