Milo Hudson is, by any account, a very accomplished young man. After graduating high school in Portland, Milo earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from New York University and then went on to earn his law degree from Yale Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal. He’s now an Associate at the Selendy Gay law firm in New York City.
A Positive and Stable Role Model
But before Milo excelled in school, he was a young boy struggling to adapt to familial changes in his life. Milo’s parents had recently gone through a difficult divorce, and he was experiencing extreme frustration and devastation around this change. Milo’s father struggled with mental illness and wasn’t able to be a stable or supportive presence in his life.
Milo had a large family support system who loved him, including his mother, two sisters, and four aunts in the area. Milo’s mother, Patrice Morris Ball, wanted Milo to have a male role model, so she contacted Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest.
“I hoped that a Big Brother would become a positive and stable male role model in Milo’s life; a consistent presence who was there exclusively for Milo’s benefit,” Patrice said.
Finding Their Own Fun
When he was eight years old, Milo was matched with his Big Brother, Stefan. He didn’t know at the time just how much of an impact having a Big Brother would have on his life.
“What I remember most about Stefan was his love for retro and weird things,” Milo said. “Being in a low-income household when I met Stefan, I had often felt frustrated that I couldn’t have fun with the latest video games and gadgets that other kids had. Stefan taught me that you didn’t need to have the latest, most popular stuff to have fun.”
Milo recalls flipping through thick compact disc binders with Stefan, each artfully hand-labeled in colorful, loopy calligraphy. Stefan introduced Milo to Weird Al, Mystery Science Theater 3000, They Might Be Giants, He-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and too many sci-fi and action movies to name.
The two enjoyed making music together on the drums and keyboard, cooking new recipes, and trying out new DIY projects. They played chess, skateboarded, played with Stefan’s cat, drew comic book sketches, and so much more.
“Milo was always in an upbeat mood after Sunday afternoons with Stefan,” Patrice said. “We knew we could count on Stefan to come through on appointed meetups, giving Milo the space to absorb a strong male role model and to be a ‘Little,’ just enjoying childhood in a safe and dependable relationship.”
Over time, Milo was able to process his feelings about the divorce and move past them. He did well in school and had a happy childhood overall. He credits Stefan with showing him how fulfilling it is to put time and effort into his interests, skills, and hobbies.
“I have no doubt that I owe a lot of my later success to having Stefan as a stable role model at that time,” Milo said.
The Influence of Mentorship
“I think it’s important to have someone to look up to, who can support and encourage you without having a personal interest in your successes the way a parent or grandparent would,” Patrice said. “Having a Big gives the Little someone they can confide in, or goof around with, to enjoy being a child and feeling safe knowing the relationship with their Big isn’t linked to a parent’s rocky romance, a teacher’s classroom load, or an aging grandparent.”
Milo offers this advice to current Littles: “Be curious and use all the resources that are available to you. Following your dreams will not and need not be a straight, easy path, but you can usually find people who want to help you achieve (like your Big!).”
At the 2024 Building Big Bridges Gala, Milo was awarded the inaugural Big Futures Award. The Big Futures Award celebrates distinguished alumni who go on to do great things after graduation from the program. Milo’s achievements exemplify Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest’s mission of igniting the power and promise of youth.
Milo is responsible for his own success. He worked hard to get where he is today. Stefan and the Big Brothers Big Sisters program played a small, but impactful, role in Milo’s story.
It Takes Little to Be Big
As we like to say, it takes Little to be Big. All it took from Stefan was a stable presence and friendship to help Milo through a tough time in his life.
September is Big Brothers Big Sisters Month. This month, we’d like to recognize the big impact that only a few hours of mentorship each month can have. Our agency currently does not have enough Bigs to meet the demand. There are currently over 200 youth in the Portland metropolitan area waiting for a mentor.
With volunteerism across the country at its lowest rate in nearly three decades, our youth often face wait times longer than a year. Help us erase the wait by signing up to be a mentor today at itsbigtime.org/become-a-big.
