April 2005
Big and Little in the News
Big Sister Suzen Dunn and Little Sister Joanna
The Beacon Villager newspaper recently featured Big Sister Suzen Dunn and her Little Sister Joanna Hekkela. Here is an excerpt from the article:
Sisters in ways that matter
Mentor is defined as a “wise and trusted counselor or teacher.” But for two locals, it has also meant friend.
Stow’s Suzen Dunn and Maynard’s Joanna Hekkala will have known each other for two years next month. In that time they have shared vacations, baby showers and holidays. And it all started from a mentoring program.
Dunn, the office manager for her family’s company, Dunn Oil, in downtown Maynard, and Hekkala, a fifth-grade student at the Fowler Middle School, are a Big Sister/Little Sister pair matched by the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization in March 2003.
With two adult children, one working and one in college, Dunn said she found herself “with a lot of time on (her) hands.”
“I always wanted to do mentoring,” Dunn said. “So I went on the Internet and immediately found the Big Brother Big Sister program. It’s been a worthwhile experience for me.”
“I encourage people to get out there and be a mentor,” Dunn said. “There are people out there who might be waiting for a bit of companionship, but hesitate because they are shy or don’t know what to do. If you are looking for a companion, get out there. I think about the times Joanna and I have spent together, it’s a nice thing to look forward to. There are kids waiting out there to be matched up, especially boys.”
“I have a friend for life,” Dunn said. “It’s changed my life just having Joanna in it. I think it’s probably changed her life too. I hope it continues for a long time.”