Oklahoma Big Brother of the Year Scott Lesser

In case you missed the article, which is also posted at http://www.okmentors.org/...

(The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and the Boren Mentoring Initiative would like to congratulate Scott Lesser, the 2013 Oklahoma Big Brother of the Year.)

Oklahoma City Man Named 2013 Big Brother of the Year

Scott Lesser, Big Brothers Big Sisters' Mentor of the Year, is joined by former Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor and his mentee Dezmond Finley in January during Oklahoma Mentor Day at the Capitol, sponsored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and its David and Molly Boren Mentoring Initiative.

Big Brothers Big Sisters organization helps provide mentors for young people

By Kyle Fredrickson
The Oklahoman
April 23, 2013

 

Three years ago, in the offices of Big Brothers Big Sisters in Oklahoma City, a family and a volunteer sat together nervously. The future was uncertain.

That day Scott Lesser, a Big Brother, met 8-year-old Dezmond and his mother, Zakiyyah Borkins, for the first time. The questions were plenty. Would Lesser, a 2008 Oklahoma State University graduate, be the right fit? And would Dezmond...accept the mentorship of someone he just met?

Fast forward to April 16, and those questions would be answered with a resounding yes.

In a small banquet room at Nonna's European-American Ristorante and Bar, Lesser was honored as the 2013 Oklahoma Big Brother of the Year. He was selected through a nomination process that required Dezmond, now 11, and his mother to write letters of recommendation. Letters that expressed a deep appreciation for Lesser's impact on Dezmond's life.

“Just to see how his face lights up and Scott's face lights up when they see each other, knowing they have so much in common, I couldn't have asked for anything more,” Borkins said. “My son has blossomed. He's coming into his own identity. He's so outgoing, his grades have improved and his confidence has improved.

“Scott is well deserving of this award. I can't imagine anyone else deserving it more than him.”
But Lesser — who works at Life Church in Edmond — and Dezmond's connection didn't flourish instantly. It took years of support and interaction to develop their relationship. It began with watching episodes of “Dragon Ball Z,” a cartoon show Dezmond loves and Lesser grew up watching.

After breaking the ice, Lesser took Dezmond on adventures that brought him out of his comfort zone — like dinner at a sushi restaurant, scavenger hunts and bug spotting on summer afternoons. But the most important growth through their connection happened in the classroom.

“The true teachable and building moments were when we spent time at the library reading books,” Lesser said. “Those events were much more important in our relationship than going to a movie, getting popcorn and Coke.”

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-man-named-big-brother-of-the-year-in-state/article/3795556