article on jude and sarah - big brothers big sisters of nelson 2012
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Article on Jude and Sarah 2012TRANSCRIPT
PERFECT FIT
With three daughters under four – one of them with special needs, Lynn Donald couldn’t keep up.
“There wasn’t enough of me to go around.” Guilt over the lack of attention going to her middle
daughter haunted her. She reached out to Big Brothers Big Sisters for then 12 year old Sarah. “She
needed quality time, an adult outside the family she could talk to. Someone neutral she could
confide in.”, says Lynn.
Sarah found that confidant in Big Sister Judith Spencer. “It was so cool having someone who
wasn’t my own age, but wasn’t as old as my mum, someone in-between I could really talk to”, says
Sarah, now 18.
Sarah’s quick to add, she and her
mum get along great, and Lynn’s loving
decision to bring in a Big Sister has
provided Sarah with a lifelong friend in
Judith.
The six years they’ve been matched
have seen both women through big life
changes. When Sarah was a young
teen, she and Judith would go to
movies. And stilt walk, and gallery hop.
Now, they favour cafes, talking and just hanging out. As Sarah heads off to Victoria University, their
relationship has, in Sarah’s words, “morphed into a real friendship. It’s like we grew up together.
We’ll be friends for life. “
Sarah has excelled as a youth leader. She’s a member of the Nelson Youth Council. She’ll graduate
soon with a Level 3 NCEA credential. At Victoria University, she’ll pursue a Bachelor of Commerce
degree with a double major in marketing and media studies. She is, says Judith, a natural born
leader. “She’s got a great future. She’s got real leadership skills. I can’t take credit for Sarah’s
success. I feel kind of selfish, because, frankly, I’ve gotten so much out of it. It’s been great being a
part of a young person’s life.”
Judith now works as the Administration Manager at World of Wearable Art. She and Sarah are
looking forward to spending time together at WOW’s famous international Bancroft Estate
WearbleArt Awards Show in Wellington this spring.
You might say Big Brothers Big Sisters provided a perfect fit. Wow.