Thank you for supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters! 

                 In 2006 I began my journey with Big Brothers Big Sisters. I started as an AmeriCorps Member, coordinating the Youth in Leadership Mentoring Program for local students. My passion for service and improving the lives of children in Appalachia made Big Brothers Big Sisters a natural fit. I was immediately moved by not only the impact a committed mentor can have on a child, but how being a mentor—and a leader– can improve the confidence and drive of a high school student. I have served as a Big Sister (to Little Sister Amber, now 19), as a Program Coordinator, the SE Ohio Regional Outreach and Training Manager, and now as the Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Athens County. I am eager to continue helping struggling families in our community, maintaining the safety of our children, and expanding the number of kids we serve in one-to-one mentoring relationships.

The agency has changed and grown in the last six years, as have the children we serve.  In November I conducted trainings for a new group of High School Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Half a dozen of the faces looking up at me were familiar; they had been “Littles” when I began with the agency. Now, they wanted to provide the support and guidance to a child that they benefited from as a “Little.” It is because of those outstanding students, and the potential of so many more children in our community, that I am grateful to be serving as the Executive Director. I look forward to meeting more of our dedicated volunteers, loyal supporters and donors, and continuing the 26-year tradition of improving the lives of Athens County children and families.