2010 National Big Brother of the Year

Art Rasher met his Little Brother, Victor, 9 years ago in a Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based program in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Victor's grandfather, the most important male figure in the child's life, had recently died. The third grader was struggling academically and had even been left back when his class moved on to fourth grade.

A college professor, Art said his mentoring visits felt awkward and stilted at first. He questioned whether he was making any inroads. Then Victor's teacher told Art something that changed everything. He said he saw a marked improvement in Victor's academic performance and that he talked about his Big Brother all the time. Art took steps to transition the match to community-based, where with support from a Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma match specialist, he would be able to continue mentoring Victor when the school year ended.

"Growing up without a father and living in an area where gangs are in control was a great challenge," 16-year-old Victor said. "If it was not for Art Rasher, I do not know where my life would have been. He showed me the way of working hard at school so my dreams can come true."

Victor's mother recently allowed Art to take her son to visit colleges. She said now that he has seen several schools, he wants to study engineering at Michigan State University, his Big Brother's alma mater.

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Nonprofits & Activism

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