Being a mentor and role model in a big secondary school hasn’t been easy. At first, everyone at Lammas School and Sports College was cautious to approach us City Year volunteers. But now they consistently ask questions about what we do. They respect that we are serving out of choice and want us to help them. They seem impressed.
Mentoring can be mind-boggling. It’s fun, but definitely challenging, and no two days are the same. Often a pupil stops you in your tracks with a question and makes you look at the world differently.
I spend daytimes trying to increase student confidence, perfecting their English and encouraging their curiosity. I have a packed timetable of activities for supporting teachers and working one-to-one with pupils.
Outside of school, I find myself planning new and exciting things for my mentoring sessions at random times. Ideas spring into my mind as I walk down the street and even in the supermarket. Luckily I have the support of my teammates, an 11-strong group that signed up with City Year for a year of service.
Joining City Year has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve realised I can be an important role model for students and I can be the change I want to see in the world.
Lammas School’s motto is: “Excellence is something you constantly do, therefore, excellence becomes a habit and not an act”. Wouldn’t it be great if we all aimed for that?
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