GlenOak alum is "Big Sister of the Year"

Jasmine Clark has been named the 2021 Big Sister of the Year by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit, Medina and Stark counties.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a national nonprofit organization that facilitates one-to-one mentoring relationships for children facing adversity.

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According to a news release from Slippery Rock University:

Clark, a graduate of GlenOak High School, is a junior recreational therapy major at Slippery Rock, continued to mentor even after she went away to school, making two-hour drives back to Canton twice a month.

"I didn't want her going through that change without someone who has supported her," said Clark, who was first matched with her mentee when Clark was a high school sophomore and her "little" was a second grader. "I didn't think that was fair to her to lose that support and have to start a new relationship with another mentor."

Others noted Clark's volunteer work and commitment to the program.

"I am extremely pleased with Jasmine and the work that she is doing in her community," Kyle Putinski, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sister of Summit, Medina and Stark counties said in s statement.

"Jasmine exemplifies the values of Slippery Rock University and Big Brothers Big Sisters. She is an asset to our community."

In the statement from the university, Clark said she loves working with children, "and making a lasting impact on the child's life and creating a lasting bond has meant a lot to me."

Clark was matched with her "little sister" in 2017.

"She was a very little girl and I really had to step up and put myself out there to connect with her," Clark said. "It was definitely a challenge for me, but it helped me start to open up with own my peers and making friends. I've been mentoring her, but, in a way, she's also mentoring me by (giving me the benefits) of what I give to her."

The pair enjoy activities such as going to restaurants, bowling, visiting a trampoline park or playing laser tag, opportunities the younger girl would not otherwise have.

Many of the children enrolled in Big Brothers Big Sisters come from single-parent families.

"Over the years, I've noticed her change," said Clark of her partner, who is now 12. "She opens up a lot more. We have fantastic conversations, and she has the tools to interact with her peers in a healthy way. And when people aren't being nice to her, she knows what to do about it. I usually tell her to, first off, treat people the way that you want to be treated, but also, if someone's being mean to you, it's OK to walk away from that friendship and that you deserve to be treated better."

Although Clark's "little sister" will eventually age out of the program when she's 18, participants are encouraged to continue their friendships.

"I plan to have a lifelong friendship with her," Clark said. "I think that she is becoming such a smart and strong woman, and I just can't wait to see where she goes in life."

As for herself, Clark plans to become a recreational therapist and she said this experience will benefit her career.

"People who need recreational therapy are facing some type of adversity and my experience (as a Big Sister) has taught me how to be more compassionate and how to validate someone's feelings, which is very important," Clark said.

Clark encourages other people to become join the program as she has helped recruit others.

"It's a program that works, it's meaningful for everyone involved and there is always a need for 'bigs,'" she said. "People should absolutely consider this because it really impacts a child's life."

More information about Big Brothers Big Sisters is available online at www.bbbs.org.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jasmine Clark recognized for volunteering at Big Brothers Big Sisters