ST. CLOUD, Minn. – At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota, the vision of the agency is to help all kids achieve their full potential. Thanks to more than 300 high school and adult mentors and volunteers each year, that vision comes to life every day across Central Minnesota.
There are currently more than 300 volunteer mentors working with kids across Stearns, Benton, Sherburne, Morrison, and northern Wright counties. Thanks to the dedication of those mentors, the agency serves more than 500 kids each year. Not only does have a mentor help kids build self-confidence, Littles in the Central Minnesota agency reported that being a part of the program helped them better their academic performance and improve their sense of connection with their families and their peers.
To honor the dedication of its mentors, BBBS of Central Minnesota recognizes five Bigs of the Year annually. A Big Brother and Big Sister of the year are selected along with a Big Duo or Big Family of the Year, and a High School Big Brother and Big Sister of the year are also chosen.
This year’s Central Minnesota Big Sister of the Year is Erica Ramthun of St. Joseph, who has been matched with her Little Sister, Harlow, for seven years. Brad Bergstrom is the Big Brother of the Year. Bergstrom, who resides in Sauk Rapids, has been matched with his Little Brother, Damin, for four years. Rachel Schuneman and Yang Koua Lo are the Big Duo of the Year after being matched with their Little Sister, Journi, for nearly three years. Holdingford student Casey Knettel is the High School Big Brother of the Year, and fellow Husker Emily Ottman is the High School Big Sister of the Year. Knettel has been matched with Riley for more than a year and Ottman with Bailey for two years.
Both Ramthun and Bergstrom will be nominated for national Big of the Year honors through Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The national winners will be announced at the agency’s yearly conference in Philadelphia.
Along with honoring Bigs for their work, Central Minnesota also honors two Littles each year for their progress during their match. This year’s Little Brother of the Year is Declan, who has been matched with Payten Polzin through the St. Cloud State Bigs on Campus initiative for two years. Journey – who has been matched with Hani Jacobson for two years – is the Little Sister of the Year.
Stay tuned on social media over the course of the spring to learn more about each of the Bigs and Littles of the Year.