Staff Spotlight: Shamel Pryce
Shamel grew up in the cool breezes on the hot island of Jamaica. She left Kingston, the city she was born and raised in, for Toronto, Canada, where she finished her high school education.
Soon, the student was on the road again and enrolled in Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. Although she eventually left to focus on raising her son, her dream is to go back to college to finish her degree in psychology, a subject that remains a great passion of hers. Until then, this proud mother now gets to watch her son study social work in New York at the University of Buffalo, working towards his goal of helping people.
When Shamel was first introduced to the idea of leaving New York for Indiana, her first question had been, “What’s a Fort Wayne?” But she soon fell in love with the city’s Midwestern charm. When the sun starts shining through the trees and leaves at the first sign of spring, Shamel feels like she’s in a movie.
Outside of work, Shamel keeps active with stretching, working out, and yoga. The movie theater provides another fun pastime for her, along with hanging out with friends.
Shamel’s career in youth development began at the Boys and Girls Club as an educational coordinator. After that, she worked in real estate for a while. However, her line of work returned to working with youth when she received a call from her former manager, Leticia White, who was now the Program Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters.
There was a job opening in Match Support, but Shamel initially turned down the opportunity. She had been worried about fitting into the workplace culture, handling the workload, and taking on a new change. It’s easy to shy away from new opportunities, but Shamel advises others to try to work past that. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t be where she is today!
Do you have any advice for other people on how they can really seize their opportunities?
Shamel: Life can come at you hard, and when opportunity presents itself, you talk yourself out. You psych yourself out; you're like, ‘Man, I can't do this. I'm just not cut out for this.’
If someone sees it in you, you're cut out for it. You may not see your greatness. You may not see that you have that potential, but it's clear that someone sees that about you, and they want to bring that out of you. So, seize the moment. Seize every opportunity.
After talking over the job opening with Leticia again, Shamel seized her moment. Soon, she was part of the Program Department’s Big Futures Match Support Team. She jokes that Leticia can’t escape her, and now she’s there to keep her on her toes.
As a Big Futures Match Support Specialist, Shamel checks in with the older youth in the program, assisting them through secondary school and supporting their plans for after high school. BBBS offers after-school tutoring, which allows Shamel to meet her Littles in person and witness their growth firsthand. She loves the games and activities the Littles come up with and getting to see them lead and come out of their shells.
What do you think is the most unique part of your job?
Shamel: I love meeting with our Littles. I love spending time with them. I love seeing them light up. And I love the fact that I could be an influential person in their lives the best way that I can…
It's not often that you get an opportunity to be a part of someone's life and actually make an impact. You see people on a regular basis, but when you're actually able to be the glue and be that motivational person in their lives, I feel that that's part of the best part of what I do here. Sometimes you don't feel like you make a difference. And I'm someone that likes to make a difference in the world at large, actually. Every little bit counts.
Prone to bittersweet emotions, Shamel thinks working with older youth, seeing them take hold of their futures, is highly fulfilling. At match closures, the Big and Little often share their stories from over the years they’ve been matched. When a match has years’ worth of anecdotes and a Little has a clear vision for their future, Shamel considers these “successes.” In fact, one of these successful Big Futures Littles currently works at BBBS! Little Brother TJ works as a Front Desk Concierge, so the team has gotten to see him grow professionally, take initiative, and seize opportunities. For example, the soon-to-be senior is now leaving BBBS for an internship.
Share one of your favorite success stories.
Shamel: There is one particular match that is successful right now. TJ, yes, I am mentioning you in this moment. He's been such a joy to work with... I have watched him grow this year, and I've watched him handle the tasks here, and now he's gotten this opportunity to be an intern. And I'm absolutely proud of TJ. So, I’m taking this opportunity to give him a big shout-out!
Her first year at BBBS has been a joyful experience, more than just because of how fulfilling the work is. Workplace culture holds great importance to Shamel, one of the reasons she was hesitant to join BBBS. However, the culture was exactly what she was looking for. Healthy goals focus on self-improvement rather than competition between teammates, and staff bands together to meet deadlines.
What is your favorite thing about working at Big Brothers Big Sisters?
Shamel: I would have to say the culture here. I like how everyone just gets together. I've said it before when we have our little meetings, but it's when we work together as an absolute team... It may be pressure, but I don't find us making a lot of excuses. I find that we just get to it; we figure out a solution. We figure out how we're going to get this bad boy taken care of, and we just do it. And it just comes out pretty magical.
A supportive, collaborative group can make all the difference in one’s career satisfaction and also in one’s personal life. Thankfully, Shamel has two other guiding factors in her life, giving her the strength she needs to get through hard times and disappointment: her faith and her son. Her faith guides her through many obstacles, and she credits this for why she is happy and successful today. Also, just as she supports her son’s dreams, he has turned into one of her own biggest supporters.
Do you have a mentor in your own life?
Shamel: It may be my boy in New York that's going to university right now, my son. He's a good reminder, like when I just don't feel like I'm the best mom, he's the one who'll be like, ‘Mom, we got through this together. You did this. Look at where you are now’...
He's my biggest cheerleader, man. So, my faith and my boy.
Thank you, Shamel, for your signature energy, zest, and passion for the mission that you bring to BBBS!
