BENAVENTE Middle School in Dededo sponsored an appreciation lunch for Erika Vaughan, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guam and the Big Brothers and Big Sisters who mentor children at the school, at 11:30 a.m. on Friday.
Sen. Ray Tenorio, R-Yigo, representing the Guam Legislature, presented an executive committee resolution to Vaughan for the work she has done since joining BBBSG on Guam.
The mission of BBBSG is to improve the lives of children and youth of Guam through one-to-one mentoring.
Vaughan gained experience with Big Brothers Big Sisters when she directed the start-up of a chapter in Kansas. This start-up experience helped her guide BBBSG to become a much more active and vibrant organization serving many children through site-based and community mentoring relations. The BBBSG program mentors children and youth from age 6 to 16.
Vaughan has been instrumental in developing a network of corporate partners in the banking community whose staff are committed to mentoring. Further, she contributed to the development of mentoring partnerships with schools such as Father Duenas Memorial School, and more recently George Washington High School, involving senior students in site-based mentoring of children in Chalan Pago, Mangilao and Barrigada with positive results for both the youth Bigs and their Littles.
Vaughan has tendered her resignation as executive director of BBBSG as she will move with her family to Okinawa.
Taking over Vaughan’s post is Vanessa Estella, who has experience with non-profit organizations including the Guam Humanities Council, the American Cancer Society and Human Rights Watch in Los Angeles.
Estella has worked as a teacher, a copywriter for the Pacific Daily News and a policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Estella has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs.