Nakia & Diamond

Nakia is an African-American attorney from Trenton currently working in municipal government. Her father’s military career ensured that she attend many different schools both here and abroad, before graduating from Trenton High. The first in her family to attend college, she earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland and a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School.

Did you have in your background a non-family member who was important to your development, like a Big Brother or Big Sister?

No, not really, but I loved school and had great teachers who really took an interest in me. It’s embarrassing to admit, but in elementary school I used to cry on the last day of school.

Who introduced you to BBBS?

I first heard about the program while in college, but I found the Mercer chapter of BBBS while searching a web-site for local volunteer opportunities when I moved back last year. While living in D.C., I served as a mentor in a program that helped kids prepare for college and really enjoyed the experience, so I wanted to get involved with something similar here.

Why did you think mentoring a young person was something you’d like to do?

I think it’s so important to cultivate the potential in children and provide them with positive reinforcement. If I wasn’t a lawyer, I’d be a teacher. I wanted to give back to my community by being a friend to someone much like my younger self.

Is the youngster you are currently matched with your first?

Yes, Diamond is my first match and we’ve been together for a year. She’s twelve and in the seventh grade.

What sort of experiences have you shared with your Little Sister, from the most routine to the most unusual?

Well, we both love to eat and to shop. We’ve made pizzas, hung out at the mall and played video games. She really enjoyed dining at a Chinese restaurant and drinking tea out of the little cups. I think she had only had Chinese take out before. Whenever she gets gift cards or money from her family she likes me to take her shopping. We do things that give us an opportunity to have fun, but we also talk about anything that might be going on in her life. I try to come up with fun things to do that don’t cost much and while I usually treat her, her grandmother always gives her some money when she knows we’ll be doing something that requires it. Our big summer outing was a trip to Madam Tussaud’s in NYC, where we took a ton of pictures with “famous people”. We had a great time.

What gives you the greatest satisfaction/pleasure about your relationship with your young person?

Seeing a smile on her face and hearing the excitement in her voice when we do things together, knowing that I’m having a positive impact on her life. We have similar senses of humor, so it’s fun when we get each other laughing and cracking jokes.

How do you think your Little would answer that question?

I think she would say that she enjoys our times together. On the days we meet up, she calls me early, excited and ready to go; she really looks forward to it. She also seems very proud to introduce me as her Big Sister; she’s even told me that she loves me.

Interview, October 2008