Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island Announces 2023 Scholarship Recipients
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island recently announced its 2023 scholarship recipients: Diego, Shaena, Josiah, Nariah, Sebastien, Sidiq, Kaymell, Collin, James, Matthew, Shobanni, Gianmarco, Emily, and Ricardo. These students plan to pursue college or trade schools in the fall.
The organization’s scholarship program started in 1998 as the Jeffery Grant foundation. With the support of the John & Dorothy scholarship, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island (BBBSLI) has awarded more than 170 scholarships totaling $800,000. The program has provided opportunities for youth to pursue higher education, trade and vocational school.
The long-standing mission at BBBSLI is to create and support exceptional one-to-one mentoring relationships, called “matches,” that ignite the power and promise of youth, and in turn lead underserved Long Island families towards a brighter future.
For 46 years the organizations has demonstrated that when a youth, called “littles,” facing adversity is paired with a nurturing, consistent, professionally supported adult mentor, called “bigs,” and given the tools and emotional support to achieve, they can truly change the trajectory of their lives.
In the absence of a naturally occurring mentor, structured mentoring relationships like those provided through BBBSLI help to prevent the long-term health consequences often caused by adverse childhood experiences, enable at-risk youth to meet key milestones, and in turn build pathways to a bright future.
Decades of BBBSLI success stories have made evident that youth who have the guidance and support of an impactful mentor will have more positive life outcomes, including academic achievement, workforce success, mental health, positive self-concept, and will be more likely to avoid destructive behaviors (e.g., drug/alcohol use, violence, criminal behavior/incarceration, excessive school absences, and quitting school). At BBBSLI, the vision is that all youth, regardless of adversities faced, achieve their full potential by growing into resilient, self-sufficient, healthy adults.
To learn more about becoming a mentor or getting involved, visit bbbsli.org.
