Out Front Magazine Out Front Magazine- Jul 2018 | Page 6

FEATURE
FEATURE
Mentoring Improves Educational Outcomes
by Maura Little, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Northwest Florida
K
ennidi wants to be an
entomologist when she
grows up. If you ask her
what her favorite genus and
species of insect is, she will
excitedly tell you about the
goliath beetle, an insect which is
native to Africa. Kennidi knows
that this dream can become a
career because of Noelle Strevig.
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Kennidi’s family is a part of the
growing number of matches in
the Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Northwest Florida program.
Last year alone, from Pensacola
to Panama City, Big Brothers
Big Sisters of Northwest Florida
connected 616 children with
caring adult mentors, also called
Bigs. According to Big Brothers
Big Sisters of Northwest
Florida’s President and CEO
Paula Shell, “The program
works. Based on our data, 88%
of our Littles have maintained
or improved their school
attendance, 85% maintained or
improved their reading grades,
and 82% maintained or im-
proved their grades in math.”
For Strevig and Kennidi, consis-
tency is key. Strevig has picked
Kennidi up from school once a
Noelle Kennidi Froyo 2017
herself says, “School feels great. It’s less stressful
than it used to be.”
Noelle and Kennidi 3 Year Match Anniversary
week for the past four years.
They go to coffee shops and
libraries to work on schoolwork.
“Kennidi is a bookworm,”
Strevig says, “A lot of children
don’t like to read, and I admire
that she does because I think
reading is extremely important.
It helps expand your vocabulary,
and I have seen her interests
grow too because of it.”
Since getting matched, Kennidi’s
grades have improved drasti-
cally. “She went from making
D’s and F’’s to making all A’s, B’s,
and C’s,” says Strevig. “Early in
our match, there was even one
year we thought she wouldn’t
make it to the next grade.”
Strevig is not the only one who
has sensed a difference in
Kennidi’s schoolwork. Kennidi
“Each week we talk about what she wants to
accomplish and projects that she wants to do,”
Strevig says. “Sometimes I will even text her to see
how things went if I know she has a test or a
presentation that day.”
Although Kennidi and Strevig focus on school-
work, Kennidi’s academic performance is not the
only area in which Strevig and others have no-
ticed change and improvement. “Since we have
been matched, the way I act in public is so differ-
ent,” Kennidi says. “I was really shy. Now I am
ordering coffee at the counter when we go out
together. Having Noelle here has helped me
become more comfortable with talking to people.”
Strevig agrees, “She’s just grown so much.”
The staff of skilled Match Specialists supports
each match at Big Brothers Big Sisters. Kennidi
and Strevig’s Match Specialist is Michelle Byrd,
who has been with the agency for four years. “As
soon as I met Kennidi and her family, they had
my heart,” said Michelle. “I love this match. Noelle
is an excellent example of how a consistent
presence in a child’s life can make a difference.”
“I became a Big Sister because I have a lot of love
to give, and I wanted to help a child grow,” Strevig
shares. “Why not do that with Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Northwest Florida?”
Currently, over 200 children are waiting for
mentors through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Northwest Florida program. Potential Bigs are
asked to commit to spending two-to-four hours a
month with their Little for 12 months. If you are
interested in signing up or learning more, please
visit www.bbbsnwfl.org or call 850-433-5437.
Strevig is Kennidi’s Big Sister
thanks to Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Northwest Florida.
These two girls have been
matched since March of 2014,
when Kennidi was 10 years old.
“My school counselor noticed
the gradual struggle I was
having with my grades and told
my mom about the program,”
Kennidi says.
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