Ally came to the Kitchener Public Library with an impressive history of volunteering, and has consistently amazed us with her intelligence and hard-working attitude.

As a (You)th Historian, Ally has assisted the Grace Schmidt Room to arrange collections, shelf read, check inventories and scan and rehouse photographs. Her inquisitiveness, interest in, and passion for heritage and local history is infectious. Ally usually discovers some gem of information or detail that adds to the understanding of the past. Her work in the GSR will help our community to discover the rich and unique heritage of Kitchener and Waterloo Region.

Ally is also (You)th Reviewer, writing reviews on novels for the library. In this position, Ally has displayed her mastery of classic literature - from taking on the 1130-page Cryptonomicon (on a dare, mind you) or covering War & Peace with flair and distinction, Ally consistently provides work that has insight beyond her years.

For all of her magnificent volunteering contributions, Ally was awarded the Kitchener Public Library Youth Award in 2018. In 2019, Ally applied and won the France-Anne Sweeny "Making A Difference" Fund: Grade 11 Award for her school. The award winner applies in support of a charity of their choice – in Ally’s case, this was the Susan J. Hoffman Fund which benefits the Grace Schmidt Room of Local History at Kitchener Public Library.

We are extremely lucky to have Ally as a (You)th volunteer at Kitchener Public Library, and for her dedication to local history and her community.