Mentoring with IntoUniversity
Since my first year, I've been a Student Mentor at IntoUniversity, and this volunteering experience has been pivotal to my personal growth. I always strive to do volunteering that not only matters to me personally but can also make a difference in other people's lives, and IntoUniversity's values really resonated with me.
What was my role at IntoUniversity like?
My role was to support young people in achieving their goals and reaching their potential, regardless of their socio-economic background. IntoUniversity staff initially matched me with mentees ranging from ages 10-17 based on compatibility.
In my first year, I was paired with a Year 8 mentee whom I supported for a year. It was a truly enriching experience, especially as I got to learn new topics alongside my mentee. For instance, watching and discussing TedX videos together on unfamiliar topics helped me learn to communicate ideas more clearly. Additionally, planning and organising mentoring sessions, whether related to academics or personal skills, improved my proactivity and interpersonal communication.
From second year onwards, I mentored a Year 9 student, and being their mentor for over two years, including meeting them in-person, was equally rewarding. I strived to deliver unique, memorable sessions rich with knowledge. These ranged from writing future letters to view in 10 years' time, to learning presentation and public speaking skills, to discussing restorative practice techniques for handling interpersonal conflicts. The best part of my mentoring has been seeing its impact on my mentee. This year, my mentee reported increased confidence about their career aspirations and greater enthusiasm about their work experience, both stemming from our mentoring sessions.
A particular highlight was meeting my current mentee this summer for the annual IntoUniversity mentorship celebration. We created crafts with other mentoring pairs while reflecting on our journey together and catching up on our recent positive activities.
The Personal Impact of my volunteering
My role as a student mentor with IntoUniversity has significantly boosted my personal and professional growth. The planning process for each session greatly improved my organisational skills. Moreover, the ability to think on my feet and adapt to my mentee's mood or our progress through the material enhanced my flexibility.
The sessions I planned challenged me to break down complex topics into more digestible ways for my mentees. Honing this 'explain-it-like-I'm-five' technique has proven handy in other areas of my life and improved my overall communication skills. It truly embodies the saying, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
Final Reflections
I'm excited to continue mentoring for the rest of my final year at university. It's rewarding to keep making a positive impact on my mentee's life while further developing my own skills along the way.
Respond
