Impact Stories
From Youth
I, myself, Tyler would like to nominate my Big Brother, Russ Schisel, to be Big of the Year. I think Russ should be nominated because he is there when I need someone. He also filled that empty spot in my heart where my dad used to be. Russ tries to see me once a week for at least 2 hours, but my dad never tried to even call to see me. My mom and I would have to go hunt him down somewhere for me to see him, and before I had Russ as a Big I barely saw my dad. I went to go see him on Easter and he got in a fight with his girlfriend and I never saw my dad again. A few months later my mom heard of an excellent program called Big Brothers Big Sisters and that’s how I met Russ. He filled that empty spot my dad never gave me. Russ would work things out with me about my dad. Finally the day came when I got a letter form my dad that said he was in jail. I told Russ about the letter and we were both happy he was in jail, because it might help him get better and he sent me a letter to inform me.
Since I have ADHD I can get hyper, but Russ helps me through my struggles, and believe it or not, he used to have it too, but he does not call it that, he just thinks I have lots of energy. When we went to Camp Uni-li-Yah we were on our way back to the cabin and it was dark. I told Russ I was afraid of the dark and he kept me close and understood my fears, and most importantly he didn’t ignore it.
We do a lot of things together, watch movies, play pool or just even hang out at his house. He gets me to stand up and speak publicly and I really love it. Since I’ve seen Russ my grades have been better too.
Once I was with my family at a dinner outing and we were suggesting ideas to each other. I told my gramps and aunt to donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters. My aunt stood up and said “I would like to make a donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters.” Then my gramps stood up and said, “Yes, I would also like to donate because Russ gave my grandson the life that his dad never gave him.” My mom spit out her soda in tears. And that just proves how much Russ did to my life.
And that’s why Russ deserves Big of the Year more than anything. He was the best thing that happened to me. One time I wrote Russ a thank you card in two minutes because I didn’t even have to think what to write. When he read it he almost cried.
If Russ gets the award it will be the best way to show how much I care.
From Female Mentor
I was eighteen years old and fresh out of high school when a radio commercial for Big Brothers Big Sisters piqued my interest. Growing up with a brother who was eight years older than I, the thought of having a Little Sister was very exciting. At my first interview with Big Brothers Big Sisters, I not only discovered that it would be fun to have a Little Sister, but I also realized how much I had to offer for a little girl.
As a teen I had lost a very close friend to cancer. Big Brothers Big Sisters asked if I would be interested in choosing a girl whose mother had cancer and was in remission. They thought that, in case he mother should become ill again, maybe I would be better able to help her deal with the situation. I immediately wanted this special girl. Little did we know their suggestion would change the course of both our lives.
Nicole was nine years old when I met her and her mother, Kathy. They lived a few short blocks away from my parents’ home, where I lived at the time. Kathy and her daughter had always been very close, and Nicole matured early, surrounded mostly by her mother’s friends.
Within months of the beginning of our match, Nicole began expressing concern that her mother was not telling her as much as she always had in the past, and I also noticed that her mother had become more reclusive. As a result, Nicole and I spent more time together and grew closer.
After returning from dinner one evening, I got a call I will never forget. Answering the phone I heard Nicole crying on the other end. She said, “Angie, you need to come to the hospital right now; my mom’s heart stopped today.”
I was immediately at her side. It became painfully clear that her mother had been much more ill than anyone had thought. Kathy had requested that she not be placed on life support. All we could do at that point was wait and pray. A few hours later, I was hugging Nicole when suddenly there was silence. Her mother passed away right before our eyes.
Nicole and I held each other for a long time. The priest asked where Nicole was going to go for the evening. No one really knew, so the priest asked where she wanted to go. Her response was, “With my Big Sister,” and so she did.
We spent Nicole’s first night without her mother at my house. We spent moments crying, talking and just being silent. Nicole was safe and not alone, and that was all that mattered.
Nicole had turned out to be a more wonderful sister and young woman than I had ever imagined that she would. She has grown to be independent, responsible, mature, loving, and considerate. I love and respect her.
Almost nineteen, Nicole is optimistic and very active. She spends most of her time working for her family’s business, and she has enrolled in a school for culinary arts. However, her pride and joy are her two horses that she keeps in a stable in her backyard. Living in Waupaca with her guardians, Nicole has been given a life and a family she had not known before. She has been there for seven years now, and we visit as much as distance and schedules permit and talk on the phone.
What if I had not heard that commercial, or called that phone number, or not met Nicole? What if I had missed any of those moments, or those memories?
Big Sister Angela Gustafson and Little Sister Nicole
