Holly arrived in Scotland from Vietnam and was quickly placed into foster care and enrolled as an S5 pupil. She faced significant language and cultural barriers, feeling often under confident and isolated, which made forming relationships and settling into school difficult.
Holly's Confidence
Matching Holly with Aimee, who had experience with young people learning English as a second language, was critical. Aimee was patient and took the time to understand Holly though the language barriers, giving her space to realise her ambitions and grow her confidence. Holly blossomed into a confident person who valued this meaningful time.
The biggest change was Holly’s confidence, she became more confident in English and throughout school which is allowing her to have higher self esteem. Holly has developed determination to progress toward her dream of becoming a social worker to help others. She now has the confidence to apply to college next year and leave school for a suitable learning environment.
Aimee, Holly's Mentor
Aimee’s role was to provide patience, a listening ear and encouraging presence. Her previous experience mentoring and with English as a second language allowed her to tailor the support perfectly to Holly’s needs.
Aimee’s commitment demonstrates how the mutually beneficial relationship helps to break the link between challenging circumstances and low outcomes. By investing an hour a week, she has acted as a catalyst for lasting change.
We are deeply committed to protecting the identities of the young people MCR Pathways supports through the power of mentoring. That’s why we have changed names and used imagery that does not feature the individuals who shared their stories.