Catie and Laila
When Catie first moved to Topsham, she had just finished college and was starting her first job at Bath Iron Works. It was an exciting time—a new town, a new career, and new beginnings—but it also felt a little lonely. She remembered how fulfilling it was to serve as a Big Sister while attending Massachusetts Maritime Academy and decided to volunteer again through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bath/Brunswick.
At the same time, nine-year-old Laila was a fourth grader living with her family in Perryman Village — a bright, energetic, and talkative girl who loved karate, softball, cooking, and crafts. She was good in school and full of curiosity, but her mother, Ellen, wanted to give her daughter something more: a chance to see the world beyond their neighborhood.
“Laila needed positive support,” Ellen recalls. “Someone who could help her build healthy relationships and show her what a good role model looks like.”
When asked what kind of Big she hoped for, Laila said with a grin that she wanted someone who had chickens, a horse, goats, and a pool. What she got instead was Catie — and it turned out to be even better.
From their very first meeting, the two clicked. Catie says, “Laila was my first friend in the area when I moved here.” They started simple — reading books together, going to sports games, making bracelets, and even trying sailing! They grew to enjoy a ritual of bookstores and cafés, and indulging in their shared love of Taco Bell. Soon they were finishing each other’s sentences and giggling over inside jokes that only the closest of friends could understand.
Over the years, their bond grew stronger. They celebrated birthdays, school milestones, and life changes — from Laila’s first job and first boyfriend to Catie’s marriage and new chapter of adulthood. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they found creative ways to stay connected, showing that friendship could endure even the hardest challenges.
Laila’s mom, Ellen, says Catie’s influence on Laila has been life-changing – not just for Laila but for their whole family. “I think of Catie as another daughter and I’m so grateful that she is in our lives.”
Laila grew from a lively fourth grader into a confident young woman. Now 18, she has graduated from high school and is studying forensic science at Husson University. Her future looks bright — and Catie couldn’t be prouder.
“I think of Laila as my good friend,” Catie says with a smile. “We’ve grown together in so many ways.”
Their relationship is everything the Big Brothers Big Sisters program hopes to foster — one built on laughter, trust, and love. As they receive the Big and Little of the Year Award, their story stands as a beautiful reminder that mentorship is about more than guidance. It’s about connection, shared growth, and friendship that lasts a lifetime.
