The Big Spotlight: Featuring Norris Curl of Marietta, Georgia!

The Big Spotlight series highlights a mentor, a Big, each month, sharing personal stories that reflect their dedication and hard work. These stories not only showcase the impact on the lives of the Littles they mentor but also contribute to advancing the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. In 2023, our agency experienced a 68% increase in new 1:1 mentoring matches, with 90% of Littles viewing their mentors as significant adults in their lives! 

This month, we introduce you to Norris Curl, the CEO of NRC Properties, from Marietta, Georgia.

• Can you share why you became a Big?

As a newcomer to the State of Georgia, I was looking for an opportunity to mentor and support young people while positively contributing to the future of the Atlanta Metropolitan communities.

• How has a mentor made an impact on your life?

Iron sharpens iron! Growing up, I struggled to find my best self. There was a great deal of learning I had missed. Integrity, financial literacy, and, most importantly, how to be a good husband and father were lessons I had yet to learn. In 1996, I met an anointed Pastor/Teacher who was transparent and instrumental impacting the intentions of my development. He would help educate me during a constitutive period of my life. I grew my finances and started a real estate investment business while teaching 8th-grade History. Also, my wife and I opened our home to serve as foster parents and provide holistic care to teenagers in transition.

• What has been one of the most rewarding aspects of serving as a BIG?

Helping youth is a cause I am passionate about. Being able to make good use of the time that I have available for this calling is rewarding. The skills, qualities, and attributes that I have
built up over the years are being put to productive use.

• What is one piece of advice you have for a new BIG? 

First, you should show consistent care. Set clear boundaries with simple and reciprocal objectives. Then, build on that success. Inch by inch — it’s a cinch!

• Anything else that you would like to share?

Serving as a Big is like the “Rite of Passage” for someone who may have been marginalized or overlooked. In our communities, this metamorphosis in life is so important. I am reminded of that great social reformer, Frederick Douglass, who said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” The help that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta provides for this transformation makes a big difference.