This is the story how my time at Taft influenced my future.

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However, first a little background.

 

During my sophomore year at Arizona State University, I applied to be a volunteer at the local Big Brother program. This social service non profit program matches men with a fatherless boy.  Volunteers are required to spend 

2 -3 hours once a week with the boy.

 

However, to my surprise, after two interviews and a personality test, I was not approved to be a volunteer.

 

When I called to find out why I was rejected, I learned there were several reasons:  I was a college student (they believed college students were not always dependable), I was taking a full load of classes and I was involved in several organizations.  They didn’t think I would have the time.  (Since they didn’t mention the personality test, I guess I passed it -lol.)

 

After making my case that I was dependable and would make the time, they matched me with a 10 year boy.

 

After graduation, I returned to Joliet my hometown and was hired at Taft. 

 

In my first year, I learned of three brothers who were living with their mom. After getting the ok from Mrs. Ewing (they were Taft students), I received permission from their mom to take them to the YMCA, attend some basketball games, spend some time at the library, etc. 

 

During my second year at Taft, I read a news article inviting interested individuals to a meeting to start a Big Brother program in Joliet. Within a few months, I was elected the organization’s president.

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It was also this year that I recruited Lewis University education majors to tutor needy children in my classroom.  Of course, I didn't know that Lewis University would return to my life.

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Three years later, after numerous fundraisers and publicity events, the organization finally had raised enough money thanks to the very charitable people of Joliet & Will County. I was selected to be the executive director and served the Big Brother/Sister program in that position for 30 years.

 

During those early years several former Taft students helped in our fundraising efforts.  One who made a major difference was Marja Buckingham. She recruited Joliet Central students for our phone-a-thons.  She also helped organize a garage sale.

 

E.J. Buckingham, Marja’s mother, after retiring as the Special Education teacher at Taft, served as caseworker for Big Brothers/Sisters for several years while Marja’s father served as a Big Brother volunteer.  

 

I again called on Lewis University students for help and they responded. Many volunteered at our summer camps held on Lewis’ campus.

 

Four Lewis students participated in our attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records for playing non stop tennis in an indoor mall. This event made the Herald News front page for three straight days. No, they didn’t break the record, but Big Brothers got some good publicity.

 

In 1985, the program experienced a significant increase in  children applying to receive a  Big Brother or Big Sister, I thought back to the positive results using Lewis University students as tutors.

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I decided to implement a tutoring program.

 

However, instead of tutors coming to the school, I arranged transportation to pick up elementary school students after school and bring them to the  tutors at  high schools, colleges, churches, and businesses. 

 

I will always remember the first day of the program.  I didn’t know if the kids would want to spend time on school work after a full day of school. 

 

When the students came out of their school, I was waiting in a Volkswagen van. Since I borrowed the van from Pizza’s By Marchelloni, as evidenced by its name on the van, I wasn’t surprised that several of the students asked if they were going to get pizza after the tutoring session.

 

The next week, these same kids ran out of the school, jumped in the van, and no one asked about pizza.  I knew then that this program was going to be a success.

 

Although we didn’t provide pizza, we did provide a snack for the students.

 

Each student was matched with their own tutor.  The students received one on one attention for 1 1/2 hours with a caring person. 

 

Teachers chose these student because they needed extra help and attention.

 

Students from various elementary schools were transported once per week to JT Central, JT West, St. Francis Academy, Providence, Lincoln Way East, Lewis University, University of St. Francis, as well as several churches and businesses.

 

We quickly outgrew the Pizza’s by Marchelloni VW Van. Big Brothers bought a van and First Presbyterian Church allowed us to use their van. We also chartered buses.  Farragut students walked across the street to the University of St. Francis.

 

I coordinated the program for 15 years until I retired.  The program averaged serving about 450 students each school year.

 

Several former Taft students served as tutors. One Taft alumnus, now a teacher, supervised the students/tutors at one of the high schools.

 

During the summer, the program continued. . When the miniature golf course at Jefferson Sq Mall closed, the mall management allowed us to run it.

 

We picked up the kids at their homes, took them to a study room across from the Mini Golf Course. After their tutoring session, the tutors and the kids played a round of mini golf.

 

In 1996, we won a national award given by Big Brothers/Sisters of America for the tutoring program.

 

Tutoring programs, now called mentoring, based on our program, had spread to most Big Brother/Sister programs nation wide in the 1990's.  

 

The year before I retired, Lewis University honored me with the Chris Zorich Lifetime Achievement Award given to one person each year for their contribution to the community. 

 

Interestingly, Chris Zorich had grown up in a single parent family in Chicago, excelled in football at Notre Dame, and played professional football for the Chicago Bears. 

 

Probably, my only claim to fame is that I am the only executive director of a Big Brother/Sister program who was rejected as a Big Brother.

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How fortunate I was to grow up in Joliet and start my professional life at Taft School.  

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