William is at University studying a BSc in Society, Politics and Policy. He was mentored by Mary at Lochend Community High School for 4 years and benefited greatly from her support and guidance in that time. Here’s William’s reflection about having a mentor.
What did you think your mentor might be able to do for you?
We were told that a mentor would be someone that would assist and support us. Whatever I wanted to be, a mentor could help me fulfil that. At first, it was very much about getting to know each other. Later on, Mary helped with some of the issues surrounding my dyslexia and the issues I was having in school.
“She became a driving force behind allowing me to achieve what I wanted to achieve.”
What would you say to someone who was thinking about becoming a mentor?
Think back to the people who helped you, because there is always someone. Do you not want to be a part of something that puts that at the very heart of supporting a young person?
What was the best part of being mentored?
Easily the best part of being mentored was simply having someone to talk to. It’s that sense that you’re much more willing to talk to a stranger about issues than you are to someone you have known your full life. An anonymity that creates a vail of protection. The next part would have been that ambition that she forged in me simply through the conversations that we had.
How did you feel you benefited from your meetings with Mary?
“The greatest difference was in the support in the school, both in the sense of allowing me to function more effectively but also there is that personal support. Easily the largest impact was finding that ambition to do what I want, Mary allowed that to happen more than anything else.”
