Pine Township man recognized as 'Big of the Year' for Pennsylvania by Big Brothers Big Sisters

Brady Smith concedes that his description of family life while growing up in southern New Jersey may seem overly idyllic to some people.

But the nurturing he received from his parents not only helped shape him as an adult, it served as a foundation for Smith’s efforts to help others.

“Growing up, my dad was a firefighter, and my mom was a teacher,” said Smith, 39, of Pine Township. “I know it sounds a little cheesy, but I feel like I grew up with a lot of teachers and coaches in my life. I had such a fortunate upbringing that I’ve always felt an obligation to give back.”

Smith’s efforts to give back were recently recognized by the state chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, which named him Pennsylvania’s 2019 “Big of the Year” for his volunteer work as a youth mentor.

While Smith has been volunteering with the organization for nine years, his first encounter with a member did not lead him to sign up.

“Before moving to Pittsburgh, I worked in Chicago for five years and had a friend who was involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters,” Smith said. “I thought about joining, but I didn’t feel like I had enough time so it never happened.”

That changed after Smith and his wife, Brandi, who grew up in the Pittsburgh area, moved here in 2011 to be closer to family.

“I heard about the organization again from a co-worker who was involved,” Smith said. “So I decided to look into it.”

After going through the process used to match “Bigs” with “Littles,” Smith was paired with then-9-year-old Xavier Davis.

“I remember that day like it was yesterday,” Smith said. “I work in public relations and love to interact and talk to people, but I have to admit that I was a little nervous the day I met Xavier and his mother, Felicia.”

Smith, who oversees marketing and communications for the Heinz History Center, said Davis was “a little shy at first,” but it didn’t take long for the two to hit it off.

“He’s a really nice kid with a great smile, and I was able to make him laugh a couple of times, so I could tell he has a good sense of humor,” Smith said.

Smith learned that after Davis met with the organization’s “match” specialist following their encounter, the boy told them he liked Smith.

“He told the specialist that I kind of reminded him of Conan O’Brien,” Smith said. “I’m a huge fan of Conan, so of course to me, that was the highest compliment. I could tell we had chemistry from the beginning.”

Smith said while the organization provides regular activities for mentors and children to experience, the mission goes deeper than having fun together.

“The activities are a wonderful way to bond. But providing a positive male influence for boys or a woman for girls is the goal,” he said. “I think this is especially important during the time when kids are in their teens and beginning to enter adulthood.”

Smith said even though Davis’ father “was not in the picture at all,” he did not consider himself a replacement.

“I didn’t want to be that father figure,” Smith said. “It’s really about being his friend and being there for him. And that sometimes means very simple things, like playing a video game together, going to lunch or just texting back and forth.”

Davis said he wasn’t surprised to learn Smith was being recognized for his work with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“He’s such a great guy and has not only been a big influence in my life but has helped me through some of the toughest times I’ve had,” Davis said. “It wasn’t a surprise at all. I thought the recognition came in due time.”

Davis, who lives in Wilkinsburg, recently graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill. He is planning to attend college in the fall at Penn State’s McKeesport campus and will participate in a Marine Corps officer training program.

In addition to his studies at Allderdice, Davis played football and was a drummer for the marching band.

“We couldn’t have an in-person graduation ceremony because of the coronavirus, so they held a drive-by event,” Smith said. “I have to say that I got a little emotional.

“It’s been an absolute joy to watch Xavier grow from that soft-spoken 9-year-old into the young man he is today. I’m so honored to have even a small impact on his life, and I can’t wait to follow him as he goes to college, excels as a Marine and achieves his dreams,” Smith said.

Davis said he wouldn’t have been able to do what he has without Smith’s guidance.

“I’ll always treasure the time we’ve spent together,” he said. “No matter what, he’s always been there for me to confide in or even just talk, which can sometimes be really hard to find.”

Davis said he hopes to someday do for others what Smith has done for him.

“I wholeheartedly support what Big Brothers and Big Sisters stand for,” Davis said. “They’ve helped out just by being able to have Brady shape my life in ways that I would not have been able to do without him.

“I think everybody should have that experience, that mentor who helps push them to pursue things the way I’ve been able to do,” he said.