Terence Daniels of Cincinnati has been named National Big Brother of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Honored Wednesday, June 28, at the mentoring organization’s National Conference in San Diego, Daniels and his “Little Brother,Terrell Blue, accepted the award.
The two were introduced in 2009, paired by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati.
“Terence is a treasure, a rare combination of the traits and skills we look for in our volunteers,” President and CEO Kathy List says. “He’s been consistent and passionate. He’s always been there for Terrell and for our agency.”
In 2009, Terrell’s aunt called Big Brothers Big Sisters after gaining custody of him following his brother’s death. She hoped a mentor could offer extra support and guidance. Terrell now considers Terence his “blood brother.”
Daniels had applied to be a Big Brother—he was a Little Brother years earlier– to be a positive influence on a child.
When Daniels, a graduate of Northern Kentucky University, was in school, the two would compete to see who got better grades.
Over the years, throughout Terence’s military training and deployment to Iraq, the two maintained consistent contact.
“From the beginning, I knew to gain Terrell’s trust, I had to keep showing up, doing what I said I would do,” Daniels said. “He started to open up, went from having altercations in school to being on the honor roll and playing football.”
Terrell recently graduated from Withrow High School, with plans to join the National Guard, attend the University of Cincinnati and become a dentist.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati matches adult volunteer mentors with Tri-State children who can benefit from a positive role model. This type of long-term, professionally-supported mentoring is proven to help children become successful in school and in life.