SAN ANTONIO – Texas is well below the national average when it comes to the percentage of vulnerable kids who have an adult mentor in their lives, a study shows.
A study by The Texas Law Dog used data from America’s Health Rankings to determine which states had the highest proportion of vulnerable children.
The research analyzed the percentage of children ages 12-17 who have at least one adult mentor in their school, neighborhood or community who knows them well and who they can rely on for advice or guidance.
Texas has the second highest proportion of vulnerable children, with 20.2 percent of children without a trustworthy adult to rely on in their lives.
That’s ten percent below the national average.
“If you really want to help kids, yes, go for it, ‘cause that’s something that we lack in this world,” said Kris Rosales, 18, from San Antonio.
Rosales was a ten-year-old who felt a bit lost and lonely until he met his Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor, Henry Ledesma.
“It’s been fantastic,” Ledesma said.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is a youth mentoring organization focusing on one-on-one relationships between mentors and children. The mentorship pairs are called Bigs and Littles.
Ledesma laughed when asked about what Rosales was like when they first met, saying, “Typical ten-year-old kid that wasn’t really interested in listening to anybody else’s views of the world or anything.”
Rosales laughed similarly when asked if he’s different now because of Ledesma.
“Yeah, I was little, immature and caused trouble, but now that I’m with him, I’m respectful and very hard-working. I understand a lot of things thanks to him,” Rosales said.
Ledesma said being a mentor takes effort and patience.
“I’m a Cowboys fan, so I’m a very patient person!” Ledesma laughed. “I wanted him to listen, ask questions, feel comfortable, get some discipline behind him.”
All of those things happened, and more quickly than he expected.
They would eat together, visit Dave and Busters, museums and just sit and talk.
“Whatever he was studying about, the military study, about dinosaurs, I would go read up about those subjects so that he and I can have a good conversation,” Ledesma said.
Rosales started doing better academically and stopped having issues at school.
“He would motivate me to keep going in school even when it’s hard, even when I’m tired. He’d always tell me to keep going because that’s how it will be in the future. He would always give me real talk. Tough love, and that’s what I like. He doesn’t sugarcoat; he’s always honest. He always says he’ll support whatever career I want to do, and that’s what I love too,” Rosales said.
The change they both see in themselves is proof mentorship is crucial and it works.
“We’re always looking for more mentors. there’s never going to be like a deadline or a cutoff throughout the year,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters Recruitment Manager Isaiah Lucio Lopez.
Lopez is also a Big Brother mentor and said it’s beyond rewarding.
“You really shouldn’t assume, just because you’re the adult, that you know more about them and things like that. It’s just hearing them out. You’re going to get to learn more about them,” Lopez said.
He sees how many kids need role models and guidance and hopes more people will consider becoming mentors.
“Proverbs 27:17 says, ‘Iron sharpens iron,’ and it wasn’t just about me sharpening him. It’s about him showing me something back. I learned a lot,” Ledesma said.
Eight years later, Rosales and Ledesma still hang out almost every weekend.
“We text a lot to make sure he’s having a good day, doing good in school, had lunch,” Ledesma said. “Just being there for them is the main thing. That gives them the security they wouldn’t otherwise have.”
“He’s always there with me, and I’m happy that I got to build that relationship with him,” Rosales said.
Anyone interested in becoming a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor would attend an orientation, take a couple of classes and commit to at least one year of mentorship, which includes hanging out with a mentee a few times a month.
Mentors have constant access to the Big Brothers Big Sisters team if they have questions during their mentorship or need help or resources.
To find more information, head to BigMentor.org.
