Macon Big Sister Receives National Award

Shatia Y. Edwards was named as the national Big Sister of the Year recently at a national conference in Dallas, Texas. 29-year-old Edwards has been a mentor and Big Sister to her Little Sister, Ka' Necia for the last eight years since she was a student at Mercer University looking to get involved in her community. According to the article Shatia's little sister said, “I was really bad; I used to always get in trouble. When I met Shatia, I trusted her right away. I realized I was acting out to get attention. I get all the attention I need from Shatia. I’m really thankful; I don’t know what kind of person I would be if I didn’t have my Big Sister." Ka'Necia's mother agreed saying, Where we live, there’s a lot of crime and violence. When you expand a child’s opportunities it makes a difference." This fall Ka'Necia enters Spellman College on a full scholarship, attributing her success largely to the relationship she build with her big sister Shatia. Below is a photo of Shatia and Ka'Necia at the Big Brothers Big Sisters banquet in Dallas, TX after selected as Big Sister of the Year.

Recently, however Shatia and her Little Sister Ka'Necia received what might be an even bigger honor--an opportunity to meet with President Obama in the Oval office. The 2011 and 2012 Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Year traveled to Washington, DC last week to meet with the president and be recognized for their success. Below is a photo of all the award recipients outside the White House. We will show you pictures from inside President Obama's office soon!

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