ST. CLOUD, Minn. – In 2015, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota established the BriAnna Kruzel Growing Up Big Award to honor BriAnna Kruzel, a former Little Sister and High School Big Sister, who passed away unexpectedly in 2013. Not only was BriAnna very involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters, she was also very involved in her local community and loved serving others. Each year, this award honors someone who is a former Little or High School Big who demonstrates service to the community as well as character and integrity.
The winner of the 2024 Growing Up Big Award is Jenna Scapanski. Jenna started her journey with BBBS at Foley High School where she became a Big Sister. Little did she know, that decision to become a mentor would impact her career trajectory – and her life.
After working with her Little in high school, Jenna graduated and moved on to college where pursued a degree in psychology. Fueled by her experiences with her Little and the connections she made as a mentor, she continued on a path where she was able support kids and help them navigate life choices and work through their emotions. Jenna says that being a part of BBBS gave her a sense of purpose, and that whether she’s assisting with school work or giving kids a space to express their feelings, being a source of stability for kids is important to her and she is grateful for the opportunities she has to be a positive influence for kids.
Not only has Jenna made a career out of working with kids, much of her volunteer work also centers around making sure kids have every opportunity to be healthy and successful. She has been a part of the EPIC Exploring Potential Interests & Careers on several occasions, she took part in a Feed Our Starving Children event to package meals for kids in Haiti, she’s worked with Toys for Tots, and she recently made fleece tie blankets for The Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis with the Kindness4Wren Blanket Drive.
Jenna will be honored along with the 2024 Bigs and Littles of the Year and BBBS scholarship winners on Wednesday, April 24, at the annual Big Celebration at The Clearing in Sauk Rapids. The award – which is sponsored each year by Vince and Lori Mohs – will be presented by BriAnna’s parents, Randy and Tami Kruzel.