Schick, left, receiving the award from Big Brothers Big Sisters of NW FL CEO Paula Shell (submitted photo)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida announces that Big Brother Ryan Schick has been named as the Ron Mobayed Military Big of the Year for 2017 – 2018. Ryan was selected to receive this honor because of his commitment to helping his Little Brother Sean learn and grow.
Ryan has been in the Navy for 10 years and is currently a Petty Officer First Class working with the Blue Angels as a Logistics Specialist. He is currently stationed at NAS Pensacola. He was matched with Sean in June of 2015.
“When I initially signed up for the program, I thought it would be a great way for me to give back to the community, and be able to make a difference in someone’s life,” said Ryan. “I was very fortunate to have been matched up with Sean because we hit it off from day one.”
Ryan and Sean have had many adventures over the last three years. The two have visited water parks, played countless hours of basketball, and enjoyed numerous other activities. “I never knew it was possible for one kid to love Skyzone or Fast Eddie’s so much!” Ryan shares.
Even when Ryan is traveling for work, he maintains his communication with Sean. “No matter where Ryan is, he makes time for Sean,” says Match Specialist Angie Brewer. Sean understands Ryan’s commitment to work “My Big Brother is busy doing his job for our country,” Sean says.
“We are so proud to call Ryan a Big Brother in our program,” says Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida President and CEO Paula Shell. “We thank him for his service.”
The Ron Mobayed Military Big of the Year Award was established as a memorial to the life of Lt. Ronald Joseph Mobayed, who was an outstanding Big Brother while he was stationed in Pensacola for flight training in the early 1990’s. Tragically, Ron and his crew were killed in the line of duty on October 3, 1995. This award is presented to pay tribute to our military volunteers in honor of Ron’s love and dedication to the Military Armed Forces and is awarded to the Big who exemplifies the spirit of Ron through their commitment to their Little, to the Big Brothers Big Sisters agency, and to the children of our community.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida has been the area’s leader in one-to-one mentoring for 29 years by serving children ages 6 to 18. Our mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. Last year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida served 616 children in Northwest Florida
