College scholarships help turn dreams into reality for some participants in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward, Inc.
Seeded with a $10,000 grant from BankUnited in 2013, the first scholarship program for high school students enrolled in the mentoring program of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward, Inc. (BBBS) is helping to turn dreams into reality for several young men and women.
To date, the BankUnited Legacy Scholarship Fund, which received a significant boost as the beneficiary of the recent BBBS LittleBig GlamSlam Fashion Show, has provided scholarships to eight deserving students, helping to defray the high cost of post-secondary education. The students receiving scholarship funds are pursuing degrees in a range of disciplines, including business, nursing, education, computer science and music.
“At BankUnited, we place great importance on supporting initiatives that promote education,” said Eris Sandler, executive vice president and Broward County market executive. “The BankUnited Legacy Scholarship Fund through BBBS is a shining example of the positive effect this type of support can have on a community.”
According to Ana Cedeño, BBBS CEO, the BankUnited Legacy Scholarship Fund invests in youth who otherwise might not have pursued higher education, having considered college out-of-reach.
“The scholarship continues to profoundly impact the lives of students who might never have dreamed of attending college,” said Cedeño. “Apart from pairing them with their big brother or sister, affording a young mind an opportunity to see beyond his current horizon is one of the most valuable services we can offer the young people enrolled in our program.”
As the nation’s largest donor- and volunteer-supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country.
For more information about BBBS, visit bbbsbroward.org or call (954) 584-9990.
About BankUnited, N.A.
BankUnited, N.A., a national bank and wholly-owned subsidiary of BankUnited, Inc. (NYSE: BKU), is headquartered in Miami Lakes, Florida with 90 banking centers in 15 Florida counties and 6 banking centers in the New York metropolitan area at June 30, 2017. One of the largest independent depository institutions headquartered in Florida by assets, BankUnited provides a wide range of commercial and consumer banking services. For additional information, call (877) 779-2265 or visit www.BankUnited.com. BankUnited can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/BankUnited.official and on Twitter @BankUnited.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County
Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as educational success; avoidance of risky behaviors; and higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships. Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children (“Littles”) with screened volunteer mentors (“Bigs”) and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course. Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Survey Report reinforces the mentoring program’s evidence base of positive academic, socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth, areas linked to high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and college or job readiness.
Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity, often those of single or low-income households or families where a parent is incarcerated or serving in the military, with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization’s 110-year history. With about 340 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 630,000 children, volunteers and families. The organization is engaged in a nationwide search to reunite with alumni mentors, mentees, donors, and family, staff and board members. Learn how you can positively impact a child’s life, donate or volunteer at www.bbbsbroward.org.
