SALT LAKE CITY — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah provides a one-on-one mentorship program that works to provide youth with equal opportunities, no matter where they come from.
“We've always worried that where you were born or what you were born into kind of predicts your lifetime income,” said Jill Sundstrom, the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Utah, "And what we found is that mentoring can change, that you can close that gap."
BBBS released a study, showing things like increased earnings, higher college attendance, improved behavior and healthier social outcomes among youth who experienced mentorship.
Sunstrom said mentors can provide a different level of comfort.
“Having a mentor to talk to about your grades, if things aren’t going so well, maybe is a little less scary than having to talk to your parents,” she said.
26-year-old Carl Grimm said being a mentor gives him the opportunity to provide something he never had.
“I didn't really have someone to look up to about things like the back half of high school or college or careers after, and I felt like I was kind of doing that all blindly,” he said, “So being able to share what little I have with someone in the next generation, I think, is equally as rewarding for me as I hope it is for my mentee.”
His mentee Carson Evans feels he learns a lot from him.
“For Carl, he was saying the mistakes he made in college, what not to do,” he said.
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29-year-old Trey Nelson said educating the youth at a young age is crucial.
“Life gets more and more complicated with every year and it's important to help younger people understand how to navigate it,” he said.
Sundstrom said it not only benefits the youth, but the adults as well.
“I've been a mentor, and most of the mentors I've talked to have just talked about their resilience they see in these kids, and it's a good reminder to adults that we all have to be more resilient and figure out how to move forward,” she said.
Some walk away with a bond that is meant to last forever.
“He always has a pretty quick wit. He's able to keep me on my toes and keep me honest about whether or not my beatboxing skills are absolutely trash or not,” Nelson said about his mentee.
If you'd like to learn how to become a mentor or how to enroll a child as a mentee, you can visit bbbsu.org.
