I'm the current President of the Big Leadership Team for Big Brothers Big Sisters. We are a board comprised of Young Professionals, who plan events and raise money for the agency. Big Brothers Big Sisters is an incredible organization that creates strong bonds between mentors and children in our community that need positive role models. We help underprivileged children realize their potential and raise the bar for their success. In doing so, we help break the cycles of incarceration, poverty, and lack of education. My connection to this organization is deeper than my board involvement. I was one of the kids that we help. I grew up in a low income area of Louisville and had parents that were unable to raise me because of drugs and incarceration. I didn't participate in BBBS, but I did have a strong positive role model in my life. The picture at the top of this page is of me and my Granny. Growing up I watched her struggle to work multiple jobs and to raise me and my older sister. We didn't have much, but we never went hungry and we always had a roof over our head. Granny always stressed to me that education was key and she steered me away from trouble constantly. Her hard work paid off when the picture above was taken. This was at my College graduation. My grandmother passed away a couple of years ago, but I carry her legacy with me daily. I work with BBBS because I know firsthand the impact of having a positive role model in your life. Many of the children we serve are just like me, but need the extra support to succeed. There were many other children in my neighborhood that had potential as well, but they didn't have anyone like Granny. That has proved to be the difference. We serve over 1000 kids in the Kentuckiana area and we have over 500 kids on our waiting list currently. I ask you to donate anything that you can. $5 or $10 can go a long way to helping change the course of a child's life.