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Garrett Smith Mentors Kansas City Youth
Garrett Smith, Senior Internal Auditor, Data Analytics, received Cboe’s 2024 Outstanding Community Service Award for his work with Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas, a non-profit that creates one-to-one mentoring relationships for the youth of Kansas City who are facing a variety of challenges.
Read MoreGarrett Smith, Senior Internal Auditor, Data Analytics, received Cboe’s 2024 Outstanding Community Service Award for his work with Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas, a non-profit that creates one-to-one mentoring relationships for the youth of Kansas City who are facing a variety of challenges.
Garrett has been volunteering at Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas for the past year and recently joined the organization’s board of directors, helping with the behind the scenes work like planning events and fundraising initiatives. Big Brothers Big Sisters pairs together volunteers who fill the role of a “big brother” or “big sister” with youth who need mentoring and support. The one-on-one relationship gives the children participating a positive role model.
Garrett was familiar with the organization for years, but he became more interested in getting involved when his friend became a “big sister” and spoke highly of the work they do. Garrett volunteered, a personality match was conducted and he became a “big brother” to a 12-year-old boy from the area.
“I got matched up with a young boy who has a single mother,” Garrett says. “His mom expressed to me that she wanted a positive male figure in his life who he can spend time with, and I wanted to provide that guidance to someone who did not have the same positive role models that I had growing up.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters has helped Garrett reflect on the opportunities he's received throughout his life and inspired him to find ways to help others in any way he can. Being paired up with someone who does not have a father figure reminded Garrett of the influential male figures in his life whom he could get advice from or spend time with and renewed his appreciation for them. Garrett hopes he can be that role model for his little brother as he navigates life in middle school.
“I am giving back to Kansas City youth because of how much I have been given in my life,” Garrett says. “I owe a lot to the people who came before me because they shaped me to be the person I am today.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas encourages volunteers to get together with their “little sibling” twice a month. From local sports games to crafts and movie nights, Garrett finds unique ways to bond with his little brother. Most recently, Garrett took his little brother to a Kansas City Chiefs game, a monumental event for his little brother who had never attended an NFL game before.
“It made my day seeing the joy on his face when we walked into the stadium and his excitement witnessing a touchdown in person,” Garrett says. “I am so grateful I was able to take him to his first NFL game because it is something a football fan never forgets.”
As a part of the Outstanding Community Service Award, Cboe will donate $5,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas. The donation will help Big Brothers Big Sisters serve more children, as hundreds of kids are currently on a waitlist to join the organization. Additionally, the organization will be able to invest more money in activities for the pairs to do together like attend sports games, participate in career workshops and other initiatives that spark the kids’ interests.
Learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas here.
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