Meet Katie! Katie is a strong supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of London and Area as a Director of our Board, monthly donor and most importantly Big Sister to Little Sister Makayla. We are so lucky to have Katie working with us! And we appreciate all her efforts that she gives in support of mentoring in London & Area.
It was the impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters on Katie on her own family that was part of her motivation for getting involved but Katie put it best when she shared, “All young people and their families deserve to have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Young people need to be inspired, encouraged and empowered to be who they are, celebrate their uniqueness and see the difference they can make.”
When thinking about the impact of mentoring on a young person, we sometimes forget that mentors not only impact the lives of the little, but see an impact on their Little’s families and on themselves. Volunteering is about giving something but it is often the case that many volunteers get something back as Katie puts it, “Since being involved with BBBSOLA, I have built a strong connection with my Little and her family and I now think of them as part of my life and my family. Not only this but I’ve built friendships and connections with staff and other Big’s at BBBSOLA. It’s a place I know is there to support me, my match and I always know I can go to anyone there.”
While investing her time and money, we wanted to highlight Katie because we wanted to show why this organizations means so much to members of our community. As Katie says herself, “BBBSOLA’s foundation is about building positive, healthy relationships and empowering young people to be the best they can be. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”
Katie notes that she has become more confident and developed leadership skills as a result of BBBSOLA programs. She was kind enough to share one of her favourite memories: “When my little and I were at the Cronyn Observatory at Western University and she picked up all the Western brochures she could. She expressed enthusiasm at the age of 15 to pursue post-secondary education and talking with her about the possibilities and what she can achieve was just the best.”
We want to thank Katie for taking the time to speak with us and we hope that her story inspires you. When asked if there was anything else she wanted to share we thought we’d leave you with these words from Katie: “Find what you’re passionate about in our community and go make that difference. If everyone in our community did this, imagine what that would look like?”