Monmouth University senior business student Kadeem McKnight was recognized as the 2025 College Program Big Brother of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal and Northern New Jersey (BBBSCNNJ) at the organization’s Mentor Appreciation Night on Feb. 10.
“Working within the program means a lot to me because I get the opportunity to be a guide and navigate the youth through life hardships they may face as well have a long-lasting impact on their lives. It is truly an honor to be recognized for this award,” McKnight said.
As a four-year mentor with the University’s Empowering Young Black Males leadership mentoring program, McKnight has guided local high school students by sharing his experiences, offering support, forming meaningful friendships, providing insight into college life, and emphasizing the value of education while preparing them for future success.
McKnight’s passion for mentorship began in high school, where he worked on a social justice project and gained experience volunteering and interning with organizations advocating for African American and Caribbean families with disabled children. His work, combined with his personal experience growing up in a single-parent home with an older sister, Tatiana—who has special needs—inspired his capstone project on the lack of available resources for Black parents with disabled children.
His commitment has not gone unnoticed, as Robert Mc Caig, Ed.D., vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing and BBBSCNNJ governance board of trustees member, presented him with the award.
“The students he works with say he is ‘relatable and motivational’; you can tell they see their own promise and potential when they hear Kadeem talk about what it took for him to be successful. Kadeem shows them not just the path to college but the path to character, to leadership, and to self-belief. Kadeem has turned his own journey into a roadmap for others; in my experience, that’s the most impactful kind of mentorship,” Mc Caig said in his introduction of McKnight.
BBBSCNNJ also praised McKnight’s dedication, stating: “Amid the rigors of college life and being a student-athlete, Kadeem has consistently prioritized his role as a mentor with the Empowering Young Black Males program to make an impact with youth. He has been a relatable and motivational figure, especially to the students he has mentored who aspire to play football at the collegiate level. Kadeem has also been an outspoken advocate for how the Empowering Young Black Males Program can continuously improve program delivery in the best interest of matches and youth served.”