Diana Hanford is the kind of Big Sister anybody would love to have. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County (BBBS) agreed, naming Diana “2011 Big Sister of the Year” for her work with Little Sister, Luciana, a Peruvian transplant learning to adjust to life in the United States.

 

Luciana, the oldest child in her family, did not have a sibling to look up to. She had a hard time adjusting to a new culture, making new friends and leaving many of the people she loved. Diana, account manager at Ambit Advertising and Public Relations, focused on helping Luciana to develop confidence in her new surroundings. Their relationship has blossomed into a sisterly dynamic. “Diana has taught me how to selflessly give without expecting anything,” Luciana said. “She’s the kind of person that no matter how hard anything gets for her, she overcomes it with a smile.”

 

One of Luciana’s passions is for animals, especially horses. On her 13th birthday, Diana helped Luciana to live out a dream by going horseback riding. Shortly after the adventure, the pair began doing community service at a pet shelter. Luciana is now a happy, well-adjusted 14-year-old who is looking forward to her life and future. She is comfortable and at ease in her American life and has a new passion: to become an immigration lawyer and help families overcome the obstacles she faced early in life. Luciana said she cannot imagine her life without Diana. “She has been like family for me,” she said. “She is the best Big Sister and I hope I might one day be one just like her for somebody else.”

 

Clearly, the folks at BBBS feel the same way, naming her Big Sister of the Year. “Diana has all the qualities that one could possibly look for in a Big Sister,” said Maria Applegate, match support specialist for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County. “She is not just a friend and mentor to Luciana; she has become a member of her family.

 

Diana is also an incredible representative of Big Brothers Big Sisters. She participates in events and volunteer discussion groups to improve her mentoring skills. In her two-and-a-half years as a Big Sister, Diana has left an indelible impact on her Little Sister and our agency. She is truly deserving of the title Big Sister of the Year.”

 

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

 

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. Most children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are in single-parent and low-income families or households where a parent is incarcerated. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”). Headquartered in Philadelphia with a network of nearly 400 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 250,000 children. Learn how you can change a child’s life, donate, or volunteer at www.bbbsbroward.org.