I wanted to be the mentor I wish I had when I was younger.

I’m Jamila, and I’m in my final year of a genetics degree at Queen Mary University.

One of the reasons I wanted to become a mentor is that, when I was younger and in Primary School, I was a really shy kid. I wanted to be the mentor for a young person that I would have liked to have had.

Because I was a very shy child, a lot of my parents’ evenings consisted of teachers telling my mother they wanted me to participate in class more. Even though I knew the answers, I would always hesitate to raise my hand and it was a trait I had to work hard on to overcome.

A mentor would have helped me work on my self- confidence. Being able to help raise the confidence of my mentee was amazing to see. I know I would have loved for a mentor to be there to do the same for me.

I was a bit nervous at the beginning, but as the weeks started rolling on I really looked forward to it. Honestly, it was the highlight of my week and I was waiting for the Mondays to roll around!

I really enjoyed the whole experience, and I can’t believe it ended so quickly, it was really fun! When I started, I wasn’t sure how much change we’d actually make but watching my mentee and the other mentees and mentors was so rewarding!

It’s beneficial to you, it’s beneficial to the young person you’re helping, it’s fun, you get to meet other people! It’s really rewarding and really fulfilling.

Interested in becoming a mentor?

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CASE STUDY

“At first, I was really hesitant to take on the Project Leader role, despite having mentored with ReachOut. However, with the support of the team I’ve really developed my skills. For example, at the Mentee Graduation, I stood up in front of 200 people and presented an award which is something I would never ever have been able to have done before, and isn’t an opportunity I could gain in my other situations.”

Amy McCutcheon, Project Leader at ReachOut Academy, Dean Trust Ardwick, Manchester.

CASE STUDY 03

“Being able to spend the summer working at Rede Partners, was an amazing experience. Whether it was working in HR or Finance, I learned so much about the world of private equity, made great connections with fantastic people and I got to learn first-hand what it would be like to work there! I really believe that I can go onto build the career I want now I’ve been a part for a workplace for real”

Victor Adekunle, 18 years old, ReachOut Ambassador, London

CASE STUDY 02

“When I first my mentee, she was very reluctant to participate in the sessions. Now, I see a completely different person! Her confidence has grown and she is happy to join in! She still has some self-doubt when it comes to academic work, but that’s what I hope to help her overcome, because she is a very bright person!

Through mentoring, I’ve learnt I’m a lot more patient than I realised. There will be days where she refuses to participate and those are the days that I really see the importance of the character strengths, for both the mentees and the mentors. It also makes it easier for the mentee to understand the character strengths, when I use them myself”

Myrtle, ReachOut Club mentor at Tufnell Primary School, London

CASE STUDY 01

“There are more distractions than ever outside of school, and the commitment of our students to attend ReachOut sessions is testament to the value they place on the relationships they foster there, and the challenge and enjoyment they provide.

ReachOut’s focus on communication skills and character development has become an important aspect of our provision of support for these students. The opportunity to relate to a positive role- model other than their usual teachers is key to the programme’s impact, and the evidence of this has been seen in the students’ attendance, resilience and to their overall progress across all the subjects in the school.”

Thomas Janvrin, Assistant Vice Principal at the Petchey Academy London