Big Brothers Big Sisters and Minor League Baseball teamed up to award $500 scholarships to high school seniors enrolled in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. This nationwide search selected 20 “Rising Star Students” in 2018. We’re pleased to announce that two local students received scholarships this year: Marquavis Little from Arthur Hill High School, and Tyler Wetherell from Sanford Meridian Early College
In recognition for their efforts, Little and Wetherell will receive a day of celebration with the Great Lakes Loons on Saturday, June 9th. Their day includes a meet-and-greet with Loons players, an on-field scholarship presentation before the game against the Lake County Captains, a prize pack filled with Loons souvenirs, and tickets to the game. Anyone interested in attending the presentation, or the game to follow can purchase tickets now from the Great Lakes Loons.
All scholarship applicants submitted answers to several questions about their goals and the impact Big Brothers Big Sisters has had on their lives. Here’s what Tyler and Marquavis had to say:
Tyler Wetherell
Minor League Baseball cultivates and celebrates rising stars in the sport of Baseball. What makes you a Rising Star Student?
Growing up was a little harder than a normal child. My Dad left me before I was one-year old. My Mom was a single mother with two boys. My brother and I were both forced to grow up a little faster than normal. We had to look out for each other and had to be able to be trusted at home along. With no father figure in our lives besides our Grandpa, we had to try and teach ourselves what to do. My Mom tried her hardest to push us to do our best, and she also worked 2-3 jobs at a time to be able to pay for everything. She sacrificed a lot for us to succeed, and now I am at the time in my life where I can make everything she has done worth it. I can be that son to succeed and make her dreams for us come true.
I come from a family that was not the best in education; I will be the first person in my family to go to college. I have pushed myself in every way in high school: from being the captain of the wrestling team to dual enrolling at Delta College. I also play trumpet in the bad, and have a part-time job to save money for college. I was the captain of the wrestling team my junior and senior year and lead the team to one conference victory and two district titles. I also dual enroll at Delta College and am succeeding beyond expectation. I have played the trumpet in the band since 5th grade, and have continued this even now. When I hit high school I did both marching band and I was on the football team. I never missed a half-time show with the band and I worked even harder in practice to do well on the field.
How will your future be different because you had a Big as a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentor Program?
My Big has impacted my future growing up a lot. Ed has worked with me and pushed me to do my best in everything. I have learned a lot from Ed from learning to golf to solving logarithms in calculus. He has shown me that if I work hard, good things will come. Education has been a huge part of my life and Ed pushed me to get all A’s and B’s. He was constantly asking me about how I was doing in school and what I could do to raise my grade up. But after we talked about school, we would go and hangout and do all sorts of fun activities. When I was younger, I looked at it as a reward for working hard in school. All of the lessons he has taught me, I will take to college with me and push myself to get a chemical engineering degree and follow in my Big’s footsteps.
What goals do you have for yourself and your future?
Growing up I have always set high goals. My main goal is to go to the University of Michigan and get a chemical engineering degree and to work at Dow Chemical with my Big. He has always been my inspiration, showing me what it takes to get where he is. I have worked hard to get where I am. I currently am dual enrolled at Delta College, and have been for two years. I am working on getting my basics out of the way so I can go right into the specific classes to get the degree. My future goal is to be successful and finish college and work. To show my Mom that everything she has done for me is worth it, and to show my Big that everything he has pushed me to do is worth it. The biggest goal to me is to make it in the real work and make everyone that has worked with me and helped me proud of who I am.
Marquavis Little
Minor League Baseball cultivates and celebrates rising stars in the sport of Baseball. What makes you a Rising Star Student?
I am a rising star student because I exhibit leadership qualities. Those qualities are receiving good grades and having a great attitude, all while being a part of multiple extracurricular activities. These activities include: national honor society, varsity football & baseball, homecoming court and the science team (NOBCCHE). Also, I served as a tutor at a local elementary school in my district. Not only do I exhibit leadership qualities at school, but also in my personal life. At my church, I am the lead junior usher. I’ve also been part of two leadership programs. I was invited to participate in those programs because of my great attitude, and my overall academic success. Those programs are: The Great Lakes Bay Regional Youth Leadership Program of Saginaw Valley State University, and the Saginaw Career Complex L.E.A.D Program.
In summary, I am a rising star student because I exhibit leadership skills through my ability to succeed and lead multiple initiatives, while having a positive attitude and success academically!
How will your future be different because you had a Big as a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentor Program?
My future will be different because my Big Brother taught me invaluable lessons. Lessons like how to drive a vehicle, and how to construct a backyard pond. Lessons that I plan to pass along to future generations that I hope to mentor. My plan is to give back to the community and serve as a mentor to children, instilling in them some of the lessons, skills and characteristics that my Big Brother gave to me. If I continue to pass on the lessons and skills he taught me, it will act as a snowball effect and continue to be passed down from generation to generation. The main goal I want to teach children is that education is important, and no matter their family history, they can change the world.
What goals do you have for yourself and your future?
My goals for the future are to graduate from college with a degree in education. Teaching is my calling, and there is a great need for African American male teachers. Also, I would like to give my family a better life, my Mom in particular. My Mom is a single parents that is also disabled. Despite her disability, she tries her hardest to give me the best life she could possibly provide. My ultimate goal is to make my family proud!
