2008 HEROES: BEN DE LEON
Different backgrounds forge a solid friendship
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Austin American Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/search/content/editorial/stories/12/25/1225deleonhero_edit.html
Even as early as age 7, very few were thinking Anthony Saldana could place or show — much less win — in life's race. Then he met Ben De Leon. A young Austin lawyer, De Leon became a mentor to the youngster, then a student at Oak Springs Elementary in East Austin.
Despite their widely disparate backgrounds, they clicked. They clicked so well that Anthony's grandmother, Cathy Carillo, wrote De Leon asking him to enroll in the Big Brothers-Big Sisters program of Travis County and match with the boy. De Leon complied and went through the program's rigorous screening process, and the two continue to grow together.
On the surface, they didn't have much in common. Though Anthony's parents were only minimally involved in his life, De Leon grew up in an affluent West Travis County neighborhood with parents involved at each step in his development.
Saldana is 10 now, and De Leon says he's learned a lot from him.
Being Saldana's big brother "was a great learning experience in patience, love and tolerance," said De Leon, 30, a lawyer in practice with his father, Hector De Leon, a prominent Austin insurance lawyer. "Being with Anthony has opened my eyes to a whole different world," said De Leon. And vice versa.
De Leon grew up with the assumption that he would go to college. After three years of friendship, that assumption has rubbed off on young Anthony. "I'm going to college," the youngster declared, "I'm going to UT because that's where Ben went, and that's the best."
On a recent visit to the law firm's offices in the Chase Bank tower in downtown Austin, Anthony got a first-hand look at how the other half works. Though he's known De Leon for three years, it was the first time he had been to the office.
"I consider Anthony to be a part of my family, and vice versa," De Leon explained. Anthony echoed the sentiment, as did his grandmother and De Leon's father. The notion of family is strong, so the office visit must have closed a loop.
Anthony said they usually spend their time together going places or doing things. He's been a frequent visitor to De Leon's house, but the office visit was a treat. The youngster helped decorate the law firm's Christmas tree, helping out with odds and ends. He opened a couple of law books.
Carrillo spoke fondly of her grandson's attachment to De Leon and his wife and small daughter, making a reference to Anthony's "little sister."
The Big Brothers-Big Sisters screening process, De Leon noted, is aimed at security in every sense of the word. "They want to make sure relationships last more than a year," he said. "They want them to last a lifetime."
Since joining Big Brothers-Big Sisters, De Leon has not only spent time with Anthony, he also donates money and speaking talent to the cause.
Did you know, he said, that the waiting list of children looking for big brothers and sisters is a long one? The waiting list is 685 to be exact. And did you know, he asked further, that 466 of those children are boys needing someone to admire and emulate?
Anthony Saldana isn't the only one, he's just one of the lucky ones.
— Arnold Garcia Jr.
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