Raise mentees often reconnect with us as adults to share their experiences. One mentee has done just that.
My connection with Raise
As a young teen in high school I was hard-working and extroverted but struggled with my mental health. Raise was running a program at my school and I was given the opportunity to join.
I was matched with a mentor who was supportive and helped me navigate the hard times in school.
My mentor was someone I could talk to without feeling I was talking to a medical professional (like a psychologist or therapist), which made it a lot easier to talk about anything I was struggling with.
My mentor also helped me focus on setting achievable goals and coping mechanisms, which I found really beneficial.
Why Raise was so important
I lost my mum at a young age, so having a female mentor was really great. I finally had an adult I could talk to about things that I was uncomfortable to talk to my dad about. Things like insecurities and body image.
Without my mentor, I would have felt lost and struggled a lot more. I think I also would have been more reluctant to talk about my feelings with other adults throughout my teen years.
I wasn’t sure what mentoring was and was a bit nervous about joining the program, however by the end I felt supported , and was given tools to apply to future situations - to help me cope and plan out my future.
My future with Raise
I hope one day I’ll help someone through mentoring the way my mentor helped me. I think it is such an important thing to have some support, especially during the early high school years.
I’d say to any teenagers thinking about joining the program, do it. You will get so much out of it.
To any mentors thinking of volunteering, I would tell them that a lot of teenagers may be reluctant to talk, but just turning up and showing that you care can help them navigate the challenging times in school or life.
