‘Big’ mentor Al (right) and his ‘little,’ Logan.

January 2017 marks the 15th celebration of National Mentoring Month, a campaign promoting youth mentoring. This is a chance to celebrate the impact positive relationships can have on children, recognize the selfless contributions of mentors, and shine a light on the unrelenting need for more volunteer mentors. 

Ashley LaVick, program director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin, sees that need every day. “There are always more children waiting for a mentor than there are available volunteers,” LaVick said. In particular, male mentors – who account for less than a third of Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteers – are in high demand. Some men see the commitment as a daunting task, but spending as little as an hour per week doing things you already enjoy doing can make a huge difference in the life of a child. Take Logan and Al, a former match in the BBBS program.

Logan, a precocious child with a ton of energy, moved in with his aunt after his mother passed away. Two years later, his kindergarten teacher saw potential in him, but realized a mentor could make a difference in positively channeling his energy. She referred him to the BBBS program. What’s more, she saw similarities between Logan and her husband, Al, so she urged Al to volunteer. BBBS soon matched the two of them. Al nurtured Logan’s athletic interests, took him fishing, and exposed him to other outdoor activities.

It’s no secret the choices children make at a young age affect their level of success as they grow older. Children are like sponges soaking up the positives and negatives life has to offer. Having a trusted adult to lean on when faced with difficult decisions makes all the difference. Mentored at-risk youths are 55 percent more likely to enroll in college and 46 percent less likely to use drugs and alcohol than non-mentored peers. Even more profound are the effects of mentoring on a child’s confidence and self-esteem, which aren’t quantifiable.

The power of a mentoring experience comes from the trust and stability of building a relationship – not from a quick fix. Al and Logan’s relationship matured as he went through school. Logan and his sister became a part of Al’s family and frequently spent holidays with them. Al helped cultivate Logan’s academic aspirations and was a fixture on the bleachers while Logan played high school football and basketball. They had many conversations about the future, promoting Logan accept an academic scholarship to Notre Dame. Their match lasted 13 years, but their friendship will last a lifetime.

Some children are fortunate enough to have a strong network, yet many in our community face a multitude of adversities. Sadly, one in three young people will grow up without a mentor. Organizations such as BBBS, the Chippewa Area Mentor Program (CAMP), and many faith-based groups in the Chippewa Valley provide mentoring services at no cost to families. Some focus on academics while others focus on a broad range of life skills, but all of them focus on the future of the next generation.