Because of a severe medical condition, Stephany Osuji's mother has been unable to be present for some of her daughter's touchstone high school moments. So Jodi Millerbernd, Stephany's big sister by arrangement rather than blood, has often stepped into the breach.
Millerbernd, a development director for a nonprofit group in Rochester, Minn., has attended Osuji's basketball games and helped her get ready for prom. She also watched Osuji graduate and helped move her into the University of St. Thomas, where Osuji is a junior on full scholarship.
"I never tried to replace her parent, but to provide some support for Stephany, who has overcome huge adversity," said Millerbernd. "She's such a positive and strong person that she's like a role model for me."
"Jodi's a big person in my life," said Osuji, a native of St. Cloud, Minn., who also likes to snowboard. "It's been five or six years [that they've been together] and it's hard to imagine life without her."
Young people like Osuji, 20, have opportunities for such mentoring and friendship through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. The group, whose Twin Cities chapter is based in St. Paul, serves youngsters of all races, interests and socioeconomic backgrounds, pairing them with prescreened adults. There are more than 6,000 sibling pairs in the Twin Cities, many of whom continue lifelong relations after the formal program has ended, said Gloria Lewis, president and CEO of the local chapter.
"We enrich children through one-to-one friendship with caring adults," she said. "We help young people to emerge more confident, competent and caring."
Her organization will get some help on its mission this weekend when another group, the Links Inc., has its biennial gala at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis.
The ball, to be hosted by Twin Cities actor, singer and composer T. Mychael Rambo, is put on by a group of high-achieving black women dedicated to service and philanthropy.
