Make a difference, become a mentor to a Valley child

Charles Riley was an ordinary man, a teacher and track coach at Fairmont Junior High School in Cleveland, Ohio.

Don’t know of him? We’re not surprised. Not many outside the world of track and field would recognize the name, and even there, that recognition would not be easy to come by.

There was nothing special about Riley, except for the impact he had on his athletes as a coach and mentor. While Riley’s life is hardly worth a mention in the history books, perhaps you’ve heard of one of his students.

Jesse Owens.

Owens has been hailed for flaunting the absurd notion of race superiority by winning four gold medals right under the nose of Adolph Hitler. While Owens’ courage and athleticism are still inspiring long after his death, until he died, Owens always gave credit for his success on the track to Riley, his junior high coach.

January is National Mentor Month, and many of us have a Riley we can look back on as sparking that special interest we have in art, music, or on the athletic field. Perhaps your mentor was a favorite teacher, a church youth counselor, or a parent or other family member.

Or perhaps you didn’t have a mentor.

In the Valley, the local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska works year-round to help match young people with mentors who can, just by spending a little time with them, impact their lives in ways they may not imagine.

At Wasilla High School, 17-year-old Robyn Hillman has her hands full being teenager and senior class president. But she makes time to spend an hour a week with her little brother through the program, Tristan Wake.

The 9-year-old says his big sister is “pretty cool and smart,” and does things with him like play games or play catch with the football.

At Snowshoe Elementary School’s annual Christmas concert, Emily Racenet was moved to tears. All her big sister, Marie Vanwingerden, did was show up.

“I was too surprised to even talk,” the 7-year-old said. “It meant something really special and made me very, very happy.”

Being a mentor may seem an awesome responsibility, and it is. It’s also one of the simplest things someone can do to have a positive impact on a young person’s life. You don’t have to be rich, spend a lot of money or do elaborately orchestrated activities. The most valuable thing you have to give is your time.

And before you say there is none, ask yourself a couple of simple questions. How much time do you spend watching television in the evenings? How much time in a week will you spend waiting in the drive-thru at the coffee stand? Small changes on your end, like spending a little less time in front of the tube or making coffee at home could pay big dividends for a child in our community who needs a friend.

See today’s Valley Life section for a story about local Big Brothers Big Sisters and ask yourself if you could be a mentor. If the answer is yes — and even if it’s “I don’t know” — check it out. Call BBBS in the Valley at 357-2227.