CORNWALL, Ontario – Even when she left for university, Elizabeth Quenville’s commitment to being a mentor never wavered.
The 31-year-old was named Big Sister of the Year at the annual Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cornwall & District banquet hosted at the Cornwall Golf & Country Club on Saturday (Nov. 7).
“I applied to be a Big Sister when I was 18. I wanted to even before I was old enough,” said Quenville. “When I got through the process, and was finally approved, I started to panic. I didn’t know if I had the time, or if I was going to be good at it But when I met Austin I realized it was going to be a really great thing for him. And I realized really quickly, it was going to be great for me, too. It was my introduction to tons of volunteering jobs, and essentially led to me being a foster parent with CAS. It changed my life.”
Her Little Brother was seven years old when they were first matched.
Early on, she realized that the family situation would not be easy to work with, often her Little Brother would be switching homes weekly, from mother’s to father’s, making it difficult to keep tabs on his whereabouts.
In their second year, Quenville pursued her education, enrolling at Ottawa University to study business. She realized that she was the only positive influence, and stability in his life. This led her to visit the city three times a month, call each week, write letters, all the while never missing a celebration.
On his ninth birthday, she opened his first bank account. Ten years later, her Little is the father of a newborn.
“I’m really grateful about my experience with the agency. It definitely gives so much back to the people who volunteer – I’ve loved my time. My Little Sister that I have now is amazing, we’re a great match. It’s also so great to be a part of Austin’s life, and hold his new baby, and to be there when it was born was a huge blessing,” said Quenville.
For more information, visit www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/cornwall.
