New York Volunteer CREATES A BRIGHTER FUTURE THROUGH MENTORSHIP

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Kaniel Cassady. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

A mentor changed Kaniel Cassady’s life, and now he’s returning the favor.

When Kaniel was in graduate school, a mentor helped him navigate the ups and downs of life. From personal issues to preparing for his career, Kaniel found his mentor to be an extremely valuable resource for his own development. At the time, his mentor spoke about his involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Kaniel knew that when he had the time to devote to the organization, he wanted to get involved.

Six years ago after moving to New York from California to pursue a career in science, Kaniel became a volunteer mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Westchester & Putnam, the local chapter of the national organization that helps all youth achieve their full potential in school and in life by providing young people who face adversity with professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships. Seeing the economic disparities in several Westchester communities, Kaniel was struck by their proximity to neighboring areas with significant wealth. Kaniel recognized pockets of poverty, insufficient housing situations, and educational lapses that didn’t provide the support that many young people need.

“What I noticed when I first moved here was that there are a lot of organizations that throw money and financial services at these pockets within the community,” Kaniel recalls. “But my philosophy is that you can’t always fix things with money. Some things require individuals’ time.”

When Kaniel started, he was paired with his “little,” a 13-year-old boy. They started hanging out together twice a month for activities ranging from eating pizza to rock climbing. He served as a sounding board for the young man’s life, discussing everything from school and sports to relationships and work.

In addition to his one-to-one mentoring, Kaniel also serves on the organization’s board to help influence how the program grows in his community. There, he met Ann Ellsworth, the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Westchester & Putnam, with whom he has worked extensively to expand the organization’s recognition. But outside of the boardroom, Ann has seen he way Kaniel helps the children blossom.

“He sees kids for exactly who they are, and meets them there without any expectation of who they’re supposed to become,” says Ellsworth. “Just by being with them, he changes their lives.”

Ellsworth was particularly impressed with one of Kaniel’s recent endeavors, when he brought a cohort of 15 high school students from BBBS’s Big Futures Program to his place of work, where he’s employed as a scientist. The group was able to tour the genetic centers and see the robots and microscopes, and they heard about what it takes to develop a medicine for patients who have hearing loss.

“One of the kids who has not been very clear about what he wants to do or if he wants to go to college said, ‘I want to be a biologist,’” Ellsworth recalls. “ He goes, ‘After meeting Kaniel and seeing what he does and what they do, I want to do that. ’”

Kaniel calls the experience the most rewarding encounter he’s had in the last few years.

Being from the other side of the country, Kaniel has also managed to establish a circle of trusted individuals through his volunteer work with BBBS. Unfamiliar with the area when he first arrived, his experience dedicating time to the organization helped him become acclimated to a new coast and allowed him to build a sense of community locally.

With almost 70 children on the wait list to be paired with mentors, the need for mentors like Kaniel is greater than ever. However, so is their influence. With the help of Kaniel, his “Little Brother” is learning how to drive and applying to college.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Kaniel? Find local volunteer opportunities.