real life stories
Mentoring: A Shared Responsibility
By Kate Spilsbury
January is known as National Mentoring Month, a time each year that we remember the importance of mentors and how every child deserves and needs a caring adult in their life. With alarming crime, graduation, and teen pregnancy rates, more than ever there is a need for mentors, especially male mentors in Northeast Florida. There are over 40 boys’ ages 6-14 waiting in Clay County to be placed with a male mentor. Each match created, helps to mold and change the life of the child, helping them to reach their true potential. One man who is making a difference as a mentor is Leigh Pressler.
Pressler, 39, was in the Coast Guard stationed in New Orleans from 1991-1994 when he first became a mentor, or “Big Brother” with Big Brothers Big Sisters. His “Little Brother” was a 12 year old boy in the school based program. Pressler would mentor his “Little Brother” once a week for an hour during the school day. “The relationship I had with my ‘Little Brother’ led to a long-term friendship with both he and his mother, with whom I still keep in contact,” reported Pressler.
Now 16 years later Pressler is no longer serving in the Coast Guard but works in the Government, Education, and Public Safety sector of AT&T. Pressler, a Clay County resident of 9 years said, “I chose to re-engage with Big Brothers Big Sisters because I was looking for a rewarding, philanthropic opportunity and to serve the community, focusing on youth in Northeast Florida.”
Currently, Pressler is part of a special program to mentor a child whose parent(s) are active duty military. Pressler is paired with an 11 year old boy named Jeremiah at W.E. Cherry Elementary school whose father serves in the Navy. Together they work to enhance Jeremiah’s academic focus on math and reading, two key areas identified for improvement.
According to Pressler, “One of the many attributes of our school-based program is the opportunity I have to collaborate with Jeremiah’s classroom teachers to help further Jeremiah’s academic achievement.” Within this context Pressler reports that he finds many opportunities to serve as a role model. “I discuss topics as he offers them, relevant to friends, family, and of course a little bit of football!” One such relevant topic for this match has been Jeremiah’s feelings regarding his father’s current training out of state with the Navy. Pressler has helped to provide Jeremiah with a sounding board and a safe place to express and process his thoughts.
Thinking back on his experiences so far as a mentor Pressler explained, “I’m reminded of the importance of making time in one’s life to support our communities and particularly our youth. Supporting youth in our community is a shared responsibility, and while no organization or person could ever replace ‘family’ as a primary source for love, nurturing, and guidance, everyone, either directly or indirectly, affects the livelihood of our youth.”
If you or someone you know would like to make a difference in the life of a child, please contact Kate Spilsbury at (904) 673-6829 or kspilsbury@bbbsnefl.org
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