“Being able to draw the young person out is very much part of the process,” she says. “Trying to find common ground can be an interesting process, and I really enjoy our early chats about what we might be reading or watching, popular culture, or what the student is are planning to do on the weekend.
“Breaking the ice lets you deal with harder things like: ‘How’s school going?’ or ‘Is there anything I can discuss with you today that might help you get where you want to be?’”
Jackie has been an iTrack mentor for two years now and remembers fondly the students she has helped kickstart their career journey – whether it be to write for a living or become a childcare worker. She sees the pressure these students can feel to choose the right subjects for their post-school plans. Financial struggles and family stress at home can greatly intensify the challenges of their final school years.
“It’s so rewarding when a student I’ve been working with says ‘Thanks for that, I didn’t know that’, or ‘That’s something I didn’t think about: I’m going to go away and look up the resources you suggested’. It makes me feel like I’ve added value: it’s about helping that young person stay committed to their future.”
Knowing that the iTrack program has been developed based on strong proof of ‘what works’ also gives Jackie confidence that her time as a Smith Family volunteer is well spent.
