Even after a student graduates from our Rise mentoring program, their mentor often continues to be an important role model to them.
While we can’t be everywhere at once, when a family reaches out to connect, as happened with former Rise student Sammy*, our team does everything possible to support them.
Sammy’s mum sent a message to her former Rise mentor, sharing how much her daughter, now in Year 7 and at high school, spoke fondly of their time together. She explained that Sammy had often been a “closed book,” but during mentoring, she’s been “more level-headed and felt lighter.”
Sammy’s mum asked if there might be any opportunity for her former mentor to check in again. Understanding how meaningful this was for the family, the mentor set about to see how this could be possible and arranged a meeting.
After some planning, they organised a ‘pamper session’ at a local shopping centre, where they caught up over juice and a pedicure.
“We met and picked up where we’d left off, with deep conversation from start to finish,” the mentor said.
“We discussed the differences from primary school to high school, friendship circles and all the new friends the student has met outside her cohort of primary school. We also spoke about the subjects she’s enjoying and her future goals.”
Sammy shared her excitement about discovering that in Years 9 and 10, she would have the opportunity to complete a “beauty component” in a school course—an area she is passionate about and hopes to pursue in the future.
While Rise is designed for primary school students, Sammy said she’d love for her mentor to visit her in high school when she “needed that space and time to get things off her chest.”
Although that isn’t possible at the moment, her mentor suggested she might like to attend an upcoming community event that she’d be at, giving her and her family another chance to connect.
After the outing, Sammy’s mum texted her mentor: “Thank you for going out of your way this afternoon making Sammy feel special. She really has a special bond with you and has missed you a lot.”
*Names changed to protect privacy.
Rise mentoring is supported by The Benevolent Society
Enjoying a pedicure together
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