WARSAW — To suggest Makia Lucas overcame adversity would be a monumental understatement.

The 18-year-old was 13 when her father, Matthew Lucas, was murdered in his home off Fox Farm Road in Warsaw by his girlfriend, who then attacked Makia’s grandparents

Makia's grandmother died two weeks later from COVID and from lingering trauma from the attack. And soon afterward, inextricably, Makia's infant baby brother passed away as well.

[caption id="attachment_116163" align="alignright" width="420"] Briana Kessler smiles as her Little Sister, Makia Lucas, talks during a Big Brothers Big Sisters function in this undated photo provided by BBBS. The two have been matched for 11 years.[/caption]

But through all of that, Makia found strength and support through school and others, as well as Briana Kessler, whom she was matched with six years earlier through Lunch Buddies, a program operated by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kosciusko County.

A year later, their bond continued to grow in the more traditional BBBS community program, and they continued to meet regularly

Despite the struggles in her home life, Makia continued to excel and made it a point to improve her life with memories of her father never far behind.

“When children go through a lot of hardships, they go down pretty fast, and I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to make something out of my story," Makia said in an interview for In The Know, the public affairs show you can hear this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations.

"So I pushed myself to the absolute hardest to help every kid who’s going through hardships at a young age and pushing through them,” she said.

Throughout high school, she was an honor student and participated in basketball and track until she was sidelined by injuries.

But that only seemed to motivate her even more.

She received her associate’s degree in criminal justice when she was 17.

She was President of JAG Indiana (Jobs for America's Graduates), participated in Kosckusko County’s Teen Court program, and (with the support of JAG) interned for a year at LITE Recovery Café in Milford.

Makia's father struggled with drug use, which was one of the reasons she wanted to get involved with LITE, a well-established recovery center.

"I just wanted to be on the other side of the system, just helping people instead of being in the prosecutor's office or the courtroom," she said. "I really wanted to work with people and get to learn that side ... people go through the hardest things, and just being there for them."

Earlier this week, she headed to Ball State University for her freshman year where she will continue her studies in criminal justice.

[caption id="attachment_116176" align="alignright" width="300"] Makia and Briana are pictured in this undated photo provided by BBBS.[/caption]

Makia was asked about the impact Briana has had on her.

“She’s helped shape me into the person I am today,” Makia said. ”When we first met, I was like a mute child. I did not talk. I was so quiet. I didn’t talk to anybody besides my family.”

“I absolutely love her. She’s definitely a part of my family and will be for the rest of my life,” she said.

“I always say my favorite thing about her is she just makes everyone around her feel so comfortable," she added.

Briana was asked how she equipped herself to respond soon after the tragedies unfolded.

“I’m by no means equipped to do anything. I have the power of God behind me. I truly believe in God, and I prayed for her a lot,” Brianna said.

On June 12, Briana and Makia were announced as the national Big Sister and Little Sister of the Year at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) national conference.

They flew to Philadelphia to receive the award and will now be national BBBS advocates for the next year.

BBBS sees Makia as a testament to what hard work, determination, and support along the way can do for youth.

Tammy Smith, director of development for BBBS of Kosciusko County, said the chaper was "super excited" about the honor.

"It's an opportunity for their story ... to be told and hopefully, it inspires other people to become a Big Brother or Big Sister," Smith said. "There are a lot of kids out there like Makia who just need somebody to show up for them."

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In The Know can be heard at the following times:

News Now Warsaw (99.7 FM and 1480 AM):

Fridays at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Saturdays at 7 a.m. 

Sundays at 7 a.m. & 2 p.m.

WRSW (107.3):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

Willie (103.5 FM):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

The post Little Sister Makia Lucas perseveres amid tragedies while also excelling appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW -- Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two separate cases of ongoing fraudulent activity.

The victims in these frauds have suffered the loss of a large sum of money, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

One scam involves grandparents in which a call or email is made to a grandparent posing as law enforcement or medical professionals claiming to represent a family member in distress (overdue rent, payment for car repairs, etc.).

They might also pose as the grandchild directly asking the grandparent to guess who is calling. Scammers ask for money to be wired to pay for medical bills or legal fees.

A new twist to the scam is for the perpetrators to appear in person to collect the money requested. Scammers are also using artificial intelligence to disguise their voices to sound like the victim’s loved one.

Police say anyone receiving this kind of communication should contact their loved one before giving any sum of money to an unknown person, company, agency or organization.

The other scam involves somebody impersonating Amazon representatives by phone. The scammer indicated an issue with the victim’s account and said personnel from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) would be in contact. Pictures were sent to the victim of an individual’s ID and badge, suggesting they worked for the DEA and FTC. One individual met the victim locally and took possession of the money.

These types of eCommerce scams encompass any type of fraud that takes place on, targets or impersonates an eCommerce site or platform.

Brand impersonation is the name given to situations where someone pretends to be a trusted brand or company to trick consumers into disclosing personal information, including their bank account details.

Brand impersonation can happen online, over the phone, by email or even by postal mail. Therefore, it’s important to remember that just because you’re an eCommerce brand, it doesn’t mean all fraud attacks happen virtually, the release states.

The sheriff's office warns residents to be aware of these scams and educate themselves to avoid becoming a victim. Always check with your bank first or contact your local law enforcement if something seems suspicious. The more we know, the harder it is for these scammers to take advantage of you.

Anyone with details about the scams is asked to call 574-267-5667.

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