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Having a mentor boosted Alice’s confidence about the future

Students on programs

29 August 2019

Read more student and family stories in our Spring 2019 edition of Real People, Real Stories.

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For a disadvantaged student, setting goals and making a plan for the future can be daunting. Our iTrack program connects students in Years 9 to 11 with volunteer mentors from professional backgrounds. Alice gained a lot from her mentor’s guidance.

Why did you take part in iTrack?

“iTrack is a good opportunity to get the point of view of someone else who isn't a friend or relative. Your mentor can give you advice that nobody else can give you, or that no one else has experienced in your circle.”

Your mentor can give you advice that nobody else can give you, or that no one else has experienced in your circle.

What did you learn from your mentor?

“My mentor definitely changed my life. I feel more motivated and confident.

“I learned to keep studying and that it works. And when I was going for a job interview, my mentor gave me some tips. She told me, ‘Don’t worry. It will be scary, but just be confident.’ She told me to practise answering questions with a friend beforehand.”

What advice will you never forget?

“My mentor wrote me a card that said, ‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.’

“It meant something to me. It felt really nice and warmed my heart.”

What are your goals for the future?

“I want to become a primary school or kindergarten teacher. But I do also have a back-up plan of being a hairdresser, just in case.”