BBBS Honours Bigs, Mentors & Volunteers
Sia Spence and Naquan Smith were recognised at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bermuda Mentoring Month Awards ceremony at Hamilton City Hall on Friday [January 30].
Ms Spence, a founder of the Young Queenz Girlz Club, was named Female Mentor of the Year, while Mr Smith, a volunteer with the Mirrors Programme, received the Male Mentor of the Year award. Both honours were community-nominated.
“I felt noticed and appreciated,” Ms Spence said.
“I’ve always had the spirit of mentorship and loved pouring into young ladies and men.
“I sat there in tears when I was named the winner and thought about my mum, Shirley Spence, who passed in 2023.
“She sponsored two girls every time we had the club.”
Ms Spence co-founded the Young Queenz Girlz Club with her daughter, A’mel, in 2019.
Mr Smith has volunteered with the Mirrors Programme for the past two years, supporting its work to empower young people through personal development.
“It’s not something I expected — it was a pleasant surprise,” he said.
“As a coach, my role is to assist the coaches in achieving their goals and helping them grow their ideas about where they want to go.
“We don’t do this for awards, but it’s a pleasant surprise. I’d like to dedicate the award to all the other nominees.”
Lyndon Guiseppi was named Big Brother of the Year, and Sandra Watt was named Big Sister of the Year.
Mr Guiseppi has been mentoring 13-year-old Kemani Dean since 2022 and described him as “part of my family.”
He said: “I’m from Trinidad and wanted to give back to Bermuda — this is one of the ways I do it.
“Kemani is already such a good kid. He just needs someone to talk to. He has a strong, quiet kindness.
“For someone his age, that’s very unique. His mother has done a great job raising him, and I’m thankful to be part of his life.
“Hopefully, we can attract more Big Brothers and Big Sisters. It’s such an important programme, and the organisers do relentless work.”
Patrina O’Connor-Paynter, managing director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bermuda, said the awards highlighted the breadth of community involvement in youth mentoring.
“These awards show the community that there are so many people out there making an impact with our young people,” she said.
“It also shows there’s a cross-section of people getting involved and making an impact.
“It demonstrates that everyone has a part to play in having a positive impact on our youth.”
More information on mentoring is available at www.bbbs.com.
