Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & the Inland Empire (BBBS OC/IE) has released the winners for its 2026 Mentors of the Year recognition in conjunction with National Mentoring Month. These outstanding individuals were selected for the honor from the agency’s Community, High School Bigs and Workplace Mentoring programs.
This special recognition celebrates the contributions of the organization’s Bigs and highlights the resiliency of its Littles, reinforcing the enduring impact that mentorship can have on a young person, volunteer and community.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire is focused on ‘The Power of We’ – the extraordinary change that happens when communities unite around a shared purpose,” said BBBS OC/IE CEO Sloane Keane. “Our fundamental goal is to create and support mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of the next generation. Each year, we salute the adults and young people who help make that possible.”
Winners for the Community category are:
ORANGE COUNTY
- Jessica Lam & Yaitza Araujo
- Ian and Durrah Wagner & Emiliano Hernandez
INLAND EMPIRE
- Mercedes Howard & Aniyah Thomas
- Julian Sanchez & Noah Saiz
Winners for the High School Bigs category are:
ORANGE COUNTY
- Tram Nguyen, Buena Park High School
- Christian Hernandez, Western HiIgh School
INLAND EMPIRE
- Nichelle Harris, Pacific High School
- Mitchell Gonzalez, Corona High School
Winners for the Workplace Mentoring category are:
ORANGE COUNTY
- Jennifer Wiegman, Ingram Micro
- Simir Shaw, Google
INLAND EMPIRE
- Sherri Inman, Altura Credit Union
- David Villa, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation
Community mentors are evaluated on providing guidance, support and inspiration; helping mentees reach their goals and transition into college; and shaping the next generation of leaders. High School mentors are selected with a focus on the mentor as a leader and the impact they have had on their mentee, campus and community. Workplace mentors have made a significant and identifiable impact on their mentee’s college and career readiness.
In terms of additional corporate support, Amazon continues its annual sponsorship of BBBS OC/IE’s National Mentoring Month activities, underscoring its commitment to community impact through mentorship.
Winners in each category will be recognized at special awards events in the spring. In addition, a couple of matches have been nominated for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s Bigs & Littles of the Year.
BBBS OC/IE currently has over 20,000 alumni, with 4,153 youth served and 104,126 volunteer hours logged in fiscal 2025. In terms of tangible results, 77% improve or maintain mental health, 89% improve academic performance, and 90% are less likely to engage in risky behaviors. 98% of participating youth graduate from high school on time (compared to the California average of 86%). A groundbreaking 30-year study shows Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Littles are 20% more likely to enroll in college and earn 15% more over their lifetimes.
To learn more about the BBBS OC/IE 2026 Mentors of the Year winners, visit:
OC https://www.ocbigs.org/blog/2025-mentors-of-the-year/
IE https://www.iebigs.org/blog/2025-mentors-of-the-year/
There is currently a waiting list of more than 100 Littles eager to be matched with a mentor, and the organization is actively seeking volunteers. Learn more at www.ocbigs.org and www.iebigs.org.