Carolyn and Leah 

Carolyn Asquith, an executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters Board of Directors has volunteered as a Big Sister since May of 2004 when she was matched with her Little Sister, Leah. Leah was in elementary school at the time they were matched and is currently a freshman in high school. Both Carolyn and Leah clearly remember the first day that they met each other. Carolyn remembers being very nervous about meeting her Little Sister, she was mostly concerned that they wouldn't get along. Leah clearly remembers being so nervous that she was unable to sleep days before meeting her Big.  Her stomach had butterflies that continued to grow the closer the “match date” came. She was very scared that her big wouldn't like her, that she might be “really old”, or that she wouldn't be able to open up to Carolyn. When Carolyn came to her house, Leah was scared and hid upstairs until her dad coaxed her down from her bedroom. Once they started talking, it was clear that Leah and Carolyn are a perfect match. They instantly clicked and were able to talk about almost anything. Since their first day together, there have been very few days since in which Leah and Carolyn do not talk or see each other. 

When chatting with Carolyn and Leah, they easily spoke for over an hour about all of the adventures that they have shared together. It was hard for either of them to single out only a few memories of their special times. Some of the adventures they share are: going out to dinner, playing disc golf, going to a Norah Jones concert, making Christmas cookies, snow shoeing, going to Clay Play to make pottery, visiting Coldstone Creamery for ice cream, hiking Cox Pinnacle, taking road trips, going to rummage sales, bowling, going to Popham and Old Orchard Beach, scrap-booking, shopping, getting their hair and nails done, and visiting the Coastal Humane Society and Petland to spend time with the animals. Recently, they have been given a membership to Planet Fitness together where they go to workout and tan. One of their favorite activities together is to rent a bunch of movies and bunker down for a girls' night at Carolyn's house.  They get into their most comfortable pajamas, gather a bunch of blankets and pillows for the couches, and a lot of snacks for the evening and begin their movie marathon. There truly is very little that the friends do not do together. 

The pair was also happy to report that they were together the night before Carolyn gave birth to her baby. They went to Wal-Mart and purchased letters to spell out Carolyn's son's name on the wall of his nursery and made gnocchi, Leah's favorite pasta. Leah recalled how much Carolyn's son kicked and moved around that night after dinner and how exciting it was that he was born the next day. The two think that it's very special that they were together right up until the time that Carolyn gave birth.     

Leah says that having a Big Sister has made a huge impact on her life by giving her the courage to express her true feelings. It has also helped her deal with the separation of her stepmother from her father, and given her the opportunity to do fun “girl activities” on a regular basis. Carolyn feels that having a little sister has impacted her in several ways. It is nice to have someone to share special occasions with and to be a part of her family. Carolyn stated that “Leah makes her happy and is a huge part of her life.” There are very few occasions that do not involve Leah somehow in Carolyn's life.

You don't have to change your life to change the life of a child!

There are many children patiently waiting for Big Brothers and Big Sisters to share time with. Mentors must be eighteen or older, willing to commit to a minimum of one year paired with a child, and able to spend at least 8 hours a month engaging in activities that you both will enjoy. Children are between the ages of 6-14 and live in single parent homes. For more information please contact Aurora Joseph, Match Support Specialist at: 729-7736, or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it