Stan's x HOKA: Anton Duncan

Introduce yourself:

Anton: My name is Anton Duncan. I've been with Big Brothers Big Sisters for a total of 15 years.

What opportunities does Big Brothers Big Sisters provide for our youth?

Anton: Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of the oldest nonprofit mentoring organizations in the Milwaukee area. So we have different options for different kids and different options for what parents need. Not one thing is fitting everyone's needs, but we try to find different options that can fit the majority of the needs in the Milwaukee Waukesha area.

To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters and how to get involved click here.

What brought you to Stan’s Shoes?

Anton: When I first moved to Milwaukee some 30 years ago, I remember coming to a Stan’s store to go buy some shoes. And that's when I became a firm believer that Stan’s does a wonderful job with certain areas for shoes.

How is the store different from other retailers in your area?

Anton: Any shoes I need to buy, I'm going to Stan’s for the good customer service, friendly people, and they can really fit you to the shoes that fit your needs.

Why do you love HOKA?

Anton: HOKA is a good shoe option for me since I am on my feet during the baseball season for up to eight hours at a time. They are the most comfortable shoes I've ever had. You can never, ever put a price tag on comfortable shoes.

Tell us about your mentorship with your Little Brother!

Anton: My Little Brother? Shoot, That's my boy. I treat him like he is my son. We have a ball together. We're both competitive. If we're going to play any sport, I play to win. He's going to play to win. He is such a smart kid.

With your work through Big Brothers Big Sisters, how important is it to give back to your community?

Anton: For me personally, I love giving back. I love helping others. If you think about my life, I've always had a mentor. I've had three mentors, and I think about the impact and the changes they made for me. And I look at a little kid and I say, Okay, what can I do to help them be successful? What can I do to give them hope? What can I do to give that kid an opportunity to be successful in life?

I didn't understand what being a professional was, but my mentors helped me figure that out.

What life lessons do you think you have learned from being a Big Brother?

Anton: The biggest thing I've learned from being a Big with Big Brothers Big Sisters is that there is a dire need of people out there that need help. There's a dire need of the youth that needs help, and I've learned how to put others first. Instead of myself and listen to the youth of the day and not be so judgmental about saying this generation doesn't do this or this generation doesn't do that.

It's just an opportunity to develop my growth. I've grown so much by being with Big Brothers Big Sisters, because I've seen a lot. And it makes me feel very fortunate for what I have compared to others.

What kind of things has your Little taught you through your mentorship?

Anton: The biggest lesson my little taught me is communication with his parents. If we are on the same page and we can communicate and know what's going on, we got him, these little kids today set you up. And I learned how to just listen. Be patient and do some of the things that they want to do and watch how you go about doing things.

And I'm trying to introduce him to different avenues. We've been in the newspaper, we've been in online articles. We do a lot of things. It's a partnership. It's like raising a son that I never had. And I told him the other day, I'm going to be with him until I die. And he looked at me and said, “Well, you're not dying any time soon, are ya?” I said, “No, but I'm just telling you I'm committed to you.” We’re committed to our Big & Little relationship.

How can people further support our youth on top of Big Brothers Big Sisters?

Anton: If you have a heart and you have a conscience, you can be a mentor. Even if you walk up to someone and say, Good morning, you never know the impact you have on those people.

If you’d like to make a difference in the lives of our Milwaukee youths, click here.

Know someone inspiring? Share their story with us!

Do you know an inspiring individual who also is doing great things in Milwaukee that would be a great community feature? Email us at [email protected].