From the Bahamas to Big Brothers: How Willy Valcin Is Opening Doors for Cincinnati Kids

“Sometimes all it takes is one person opening the door for you to change your entire path,” says Willy Valcin. 

That was the case for the Bahamas native when a chance encounter enabled him to move to the United States for college and eventually join GE Aerospace. Now Valcin has become the door opener himself, mentoring a local eight-year-old boy in the Cincinnati chapter of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

One of six children raised by a single mother in the Bahamas, Valcin grew up in a culture that often prioritized a paycheck over an education by necessity. In 2014, at 23 years old, he was working at a resort hotel in his native country, taking time off from college in the Bahamas to help support his family. Despite his potential and ambition, he was uncertain whether he’d ever finish his degree. Then one day at the resort, the hotel mixed up reservations for an American couple, and Valcin interceded to sort out the confusion. He calls the mix-up “God’s will,” as it sparked a connection that would stretch thousands of miles.

Staying in touch after checkout, the couple soon asked Valcin a life-changing question: Did he want to go back to school? They offered to sponsor his visa, fund his education, and be his host family. “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he calls it. On his 24th birthday, he moved to America to study business management and business analytics at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. He quickly became part of the family, and they remain tight-knit to this day. “I’m like the son they never had,” he says. 

Taking On a New Role

“Ever since then, I’ve wanted to find ways to be that person for someone else,” Valcin says. When he got his first job out of college, in a logistics role for a Cincinnati company in 2022, that altruistic desire was ignited by his new community. “I saw a community full of opportunities, but also challenges, especially for young people,” he says. “I would see kids full of potential, full of energy, full of questions the world hadn’t answered for them. And I’d ask myself, What if no one ever stepped in for them? What if no one ever sees them? Because that’s how I felt growing up.”

Seeing himself in the young people he encountered in Cincinnati, Valcin felt like it was the perfect place to participate in Big Brothers Big Sisters, a program he’d heard so much about. He  didn’t dive in right away, as he was busy searching for job opportunities. One place he applied was GE Aerospace, drawn by its industry leadership, innovation, and advancement opportunities. Hearing about the company’s active outreach to local communities, and in particular how many GE Aerospace employees volunteer with Big Brothers, sealed the deal. Today Valcin works as an engine assembly fulfillment leader in the company’s marine division, supporting the LM6000 product line — an aeroderivative gas turbine used to power commercial and military vessels.

“What I enjoy most about GE Aerospace is the impact it has on the community. Whether it’s through programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters or other initiatives, the company consistently demonstrates its commitment to making a difference,” Valcin says. 

Valcin applied to Big Brothers on his own and got the call eight months ago to be a “Big” to a boy named Johnny. Johnny was shy at first, but Valcin’s attentive mentorship has helped bring him out of his shell, and Valcin has seen his confidence grow exponentially. Now, nearly one year into their match, the two are close, meeting two or three times a month to grab dinner — or sometimes milkshakes — work on homework, attend sports matches, or even go to church together. Valcin also has big plans for the future, working with local fire and police departments to set up tours for Johnny, who dreams of wearing one of the uniforms. 

“Being a part of Big Brothers has been one of the most meaningful experiences in my life,” Valcin says. “My dad was never in my life, and I never had a role model. So I know how important it is to have a mentor, a role model.” 

Dreaming Bigger

Valcin said his role as a Big Brother is bigger than a single relationship. “Every time a young person has a mentor, it ripples out into the community,” he says. “It reduces the chance of kids getting sidetracked. It gives them positive role models. And it reminds them that someone believes in them.” 

This same ethos of community outreach is what connects GE Aerospace and the BBBS program. The company recently offered an interactive tour of its Cincinnati campus to all local Big-Little pairs, including Valcin and Johnny, and provided information to the Littles about aerospace careers. “Moments like these remind me why I’m proud to be part of an organization that invests in the next generation and empowers them to dream big,” says Valcin.

Valcin has even bigger dreams for his volunteer work. He hopes, ideally with the help of GE Aerospace, to one day create an exchange program for BBBS between the Bahamas and Cincinnati, so kids in both places can get travel opportunities and exposure to different ways of life. He also plans to continue mentoring Johnny even after he ages out of the program at 18, building on the legacy of found family he’s long enjoyed with his host family. 

“The kids in Cincinnati are very hopeful. They have drive and passion, they just need that extra push, but they don’t have the people around to help advocate for them,” says Valcin. “And I wanted to, because someone saw the potential in me.”