Mentoring Journeys: Habon’s Story
Recently, we caught up with Habon, a former mentee from our 2022/23 cohort, to hear about her experiences on the programme. Habon has recently completed a gap year, where she has spent some time volunteering for The Catalyst as Chair of the Youth Advisory Board. Habon’s former mentor, Denise, is someone that she really looks up to. “I was fortunate to have the best mentor I could ask for, who supported me through the roller coaster called sixth form.” Habon described how her mentor helped guide her by talking about “her own journey as a teenage girl and a Black woman”. Denise was “really open minded and understanding that everyone has different perspectives,” allowing the pair to learn from each other’s unique experiences. With the support of her mentor, Habon worked on her SMART goals, which related to studying, finding work experience, exploring career options, and improving time management. On the latter, Habon mentioned that she always used to be late for school, but that with Denise’s help, her organisation improved significantly. Habon also describes herself as a “go-getter,” explaining how she would sometimes struggle with balancing too many responsibilities. She said that while Denise always pushed her to do her best, and “be the best version” of herself, her mentor always encouraged her to “stay grounded and be realistic”. Habon has found that her time management has continued to improve significantly – the lessons she learnt served her well after she finished the programme. She says that she has been “shocked” at how well she has been able to manage the different responsibilities of her gap year. As well as doing work with The Catalyst, Habon has a busy schedule as a maths and science tutor, and has also been taking several online courses. The Catalyst held its first residential in April, and Habon was involved with the planning and delivery of the weekend. She found it really interesting and fun to take part in the activities, and to build positive connections with the mentees who are in the same position she was in a few years ago. Reflecting on her time as a mentee, Habon describes it as “memorable and beautiful. Meeting so many ambitious women of colour in one place, where success is the common goal, really outlined my sixth form journey. I couldn’t be more grateful!” From September, Habon will be studying Pharmacy at university. We are also really excited to welcome her on board the team as Junior Programme Delivery Officer, where she will continue her work with the Youth Advisory Board, and support The Catalyst in the delivery of our enrichment programme.
Meet our mentoring pairs: Shelby & Claudia
Shelby & Claudia are one of the brilliant mentoring pairs on this year’s programme. Read on to understand more about the journey our mentors and mentees go on, as we hear about their experiences so far. Claudia is a Year 10 student, and a mentee on our programme. Like many of our mentees, we first met Claudia through one of our partner schools, Eastside Young Leaders Academy. When she signed up for the mentoring programme, Claudia remarked “I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, so I went in with an open mind. Mainly I just wanted to learn more.” She told us that through mentoring, she wanted to work on building her skills and confidence. Shelby works in Ecommerce Technology, and has a background in fashion. She wanted to get involved with The Catalyst in order “to be able to impart wisdom and helpful tips to the younger generation”, recognising that when she was younger, this kind of support for young Black girls was not often available. We match mentors and mentees carefully based on their interests, experiences and preferences, and Shelby and Claudia are just one example of a match who have built a great rapport. Shelby says that she likes “everything” about working with Claudia, adding, “Claudia is very smart and driven, which made us a good match with us both being goal oriented.” The pair first met in September, at an online matching event. This is an opportunity for our pairs to break the ice in a small group setting, through games and introductions. Shelby and Claudia then began their one to one sessions. They made use of some of the session plans we provide, which often focus on helping pairs get to know each other, as we know that establishing a positive connection is essential to successful mentoring. For Shelby, one of the most interesting things they’ve done together was swapping TV show recommendations during one of these first sessions! In their second session, pairs will often begin to set SMART goals, which they will work on throughout their mentoring relationship. Mentees develop goals related to various aspects of life, whether that’s finding out more about a career pathway, to building confidence through public speaking, or achieving a certain grade in their exams. For Claudia, working with Shelby has had a long term impact on how she works towards her future goals. “I’m more open to realising how goals are set. They don’t have to be big, they can be small & easy to achieve.” She adds that now, “I have more goals and more knowledge about different career paths. I’ve already hit some goals that we set, which I didn’t expect.” Claudia also found the third session particularly memorable. In this session, mentors and mentees use Myers Briggs personality tests to get to know each other more, and to reflect on their unique qualities, strengths, and weaknesses. Claudia described the personality tests as “really fun”, echoing a sentiment of many of our pairs, who often see this session as a highlight of their mentoring! We know that all mentees are unique, and this is why we encourage mentors to take a flexible approach, giving them the necessary support and resources to tailor their sessions to their mentee’s needs and preferences. As Claudia describes “I expected it to be more focused on school related topics, however we have covered more in our sessions so far.” Shelby adds that “We have talked through some of the challenges in the workplace at a high level. Most of the conversations have been on foundational skills that will help girls thrive in any profession.” She feels that she has been able to support Claudia the most through goal setting, working through personality types, and helping Claudia to identify her strengths. We believe that mentoring is a mutually beneficial experience – mentors often get as much from the experience as they give. This has been the case for Shelby, who feels that she has developed her listening skills, and has learnt how to “explain things in simple terms to help Claudia understand”. Both Claudia and Shelby would encourage anyone interested in joining the programme to “Go for it!” Claudia explains that mentoring is “something new, it’s not something I’d normally do and I have enjoyed working with Shelby so far.” Shelby adds that the experience is “very rewarding and a lot of fun”. This June, Shelby and Claudia will be having their first in person meet up. We have loved working with the pair so far this year, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of their mentoring relationship brings!
Meet our Mentors: Marsha in Data Analytics
Currently working in Data, Marsha has seen first hand how Data and AI roles have skyrocketed with the evolution of Gen-AI. Here she gives insight into STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering and Maths), the importance of Data and the most-commonly held Data roles, and why she is so passionate about mentoring. Words by Marsha Castello For the love of all things Tech! Probably much like you I have always had a love for technology and the way things work! Growing up one of my favourite programmes was a TV show called “Click” which gave the rundown on all new technological devices and inventions shaping our world. Yet when I was a teen and deciding on my academic options, I never even considered studying computer science, despite my obvious love of this field. Why? Well, much like today it was mostly boys who chose Computer Science. If you looked at any tech or engineering class at college or university, you’d be lucky to find one girl, and that seemed very lonely and intimidating to me. Plus, for some reason I thought that it must be incredibly hard to learn, would require expertise at maths, and therefore would be boring. On top of all these assumptions, there was little information about the thousands of different roles in tech and STEM in general, or that maths is not required for all of them and neither, in fact, is coding! Girls were often not encouraged to study this field. There was an absence of freely available and accessible information and support to explore this unknown and seemingly intimidating territory. So, I left well alone and studied Economics and International studies for my undergraduate degree, and International Business and Development. I have many passions, including international affairs and development, but if I could send a message to my younger self, it would be – do not let fear of the unknown deter your path. In fact, there is only one approach you should take to the unknown, and that is to explore more about it and learn just how capable you are. I have managed to do this most recently! I have been certified in a range of STEM areas from Data Analytics and Project Management to Software Development/Engineering. I can now code in a wealth of computer languages, and do you want to know a secret? It really isn’t that hard! In fact, anything that someone else knows, you can learn too. How to Get Started Just start off small and at your comfort level, and keep consistently building on your knowledge – don’t expect to know everything at once. Master one thing at a time. For example, Python is a great coding language for beginners as it is the one most similar to the English language. It will teach you the fundamentals of coding and data structures, and once you are proficient in it, other coding languages become easier to follow! There are also so many free courses and communities to support you in exploring different areas of STEM, that simply were not available when I was at school. Some are just for girls! Check out: Girls into Coding, Stemettes, InnovateHer, Bright Network, FreeCodeCamp, Motivez, and Girls in Data! Coding Black Females occasionally offer free events and courses for teens too! Popular STEM careers include careers in Data, AI, Software Development/ Engineering, Mechanical/Robotics Engineers, Cybersecurity, Scientists, Researchers and many more! Explore more at Bright Network’s STEM hub and in this fantastic STEM Guide! Data, Data Everywhere! And why is Data so important you may ask? Well did you know that human beings generate 2.5 quintillion (that’s 2.5 followed by 18 zeros!) bytes worth of data each day? There are currently over 44 zettabytes (that’s 44 000,000,000,000,000,000,00 bits) of data in the entire digital universe! You will agree that that’s a lot of data! Data professionals like me, are needed to collect, clean, analyse, explore, and make sense of all this data. All jobs, activities, products, services, and processes generate data and this data needs to be processed and analysed. Data professionals are in high demand and data skills are invaluable to have. The emergence of Generative-AI also has an impact on the demand for data, as data is needed to feed into AI models so that they can work and fairly represent the whole of society. There are several job roles and careers in data, many of which have different titles yet intersect. I am trained in both Data Analytics and Data Science for example. The main data roles are Data Analyst, Data Engineer, and Data Scientist. There are several differences and overlap between these roles, as shown in the Venn diagram below: Essentially, a Data Analyst interprets data and presents their insights. Data Analysts extract, transfer and store data, removing any errors (cleaning) to ensure quality, reliability, and scalability, before examining the data to create reports and visualisations needed to make informed business decisions. For example, I currently produce several reports assessing the performance of my organisation’s products and the efficiency of the teams processing those products so that we can easily identify areas we are doing well and areas where improvement is needed. This is similar to if you wanted to assess which type of content goes viral on TikTok. You would collect data on the type of reels which generate the most views, likes, saves, comments, shares and downloads. You might ask what the viral reels had in common with each other – was it the length, content, content creator, time uploaded, trends followed, music included and so on. You would look for positive correlations between these variables and resulting engagement. You would present your findings in a report explaining your conclusions and recommendations based on your research on how to make a TikTok reel go viral. Your company could then use this information to sell/market products! Skills needed to be a Data Analyst include Advanced Excel, and in some cases coding languages such as SQL and Python to collect and process the data, along with data visualisation tools such as Tableau or PowerBI to illustrate your insights with charts and diagrams. A Data Engineer may be responsible for the design, building,
Meet our Mentors: Danielle in Healthcare Science
This week is Healthcare Science Week, a time to celebrate and raise awareness of over 50 scientific specialisms and professional groups in this diverse NHS workforce. Over the last 75 years NHS healthcare science has played a vital role in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease; and the health of our population. Read on to find out more about the opportunities in healthcare science, and to hear from one of our mentors, Danielle, about her experiences within neurophysiology! Words by Danielle Johnson Have you ever considered a career in Healthcare Science? When I was younger, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in science or healthcare but I thought the only options available were to be a doctor or nurse. I had come across physiotherapists through playing sport and I encountered a radiographer once whilst having a scan for an injured ankle – but beyond that I had no idea. It wasn’t until much later on that I found out about the more than 50 specialisms that make up healthcare science! Healthcare science underpins over a billion diagnostic investigations and treatment interventions a year and impacts three in four of all clinical decisions made in the NHS. It has played a vital role in the diagnosis, prevention and management of disease throughout time. Healthcare scientists are responsible for every piece of medical equipment to ensure patient safety and they are at the forefront of shaping technological advances that address the greatest health challenges of today. We are the hidden workforce that perform your tests and scans, work to optimise your treatment and develop new methods of delivering your care. There are four key divisions of healthcare science: Life Science: If you work in life sciences, you will play a crucial role in helping to improve our understanding of illnesses and their treatment. You might also be responsible for developing new treatments for common medical problems, such as infertility or allergies. The majority of your time will be spent in hospital laboratories, where you will analyse different samples from patients to give doctors the information they need to make an accurate diagnosis. You may also work on hospital wards or in the community. Physiological Science: In this area of healthcare science, roles are mainly patient-facing. You will examine people directly to look for any problems in the way their body is working and advise on diagnosis and management of a variety of conditions. You’ll be part of a medical or surgical team, and your work will involve direct interaction with patients. You will use the very latest techniques and equipment to identify any abnormalities and help to restore body functions, such as problems with the heart, brain, lungs or hearing. Physical Science: Medical physics and Clinical engineering: In this area, you will work closely with other NHS clinical teams, making sure the equipment they use, such as renal dialysis machines, are functioning safely and effectively. You’ll also be responsible for developing new techniques and technology to measure what is happening in the body and to diagnose and treat disease. These might include different imaging techniques to explore or record the workings of the body. You might also develop techniques to design artificial limbs and body parts or improve facial reconstruction for those involved in accidents or born with disabilities. Bioinformatics: This is a rapidly evolving area of healthcare science that brings together computing, biology and medicine. Staff in clinical bioinformatics roles develop and improve methods for acquiring and using biological data to support healthcare delivery. My Experiences as a Healthcare Scientist in Neurophysiology: After studying Biology, Chemistry and Psychology A-levels, I went on to study Neuroscience at The University of Nottingham. I chose Neuroscience because I found the brain so interesting – and it was the perfect mix of my favourite A-level subjects. Towards the end of my degree, I wasn’t any closer to knowing what I wanted to do – I knew I didn’t want to work in a lab all day and wanted to do something with people. It wasn’t until, one day, someone came into my university to give a talk on the Scientist Training Programme that I was introduced to Healthcare Science, and Neurophysiology in particular. Neurophysiology is the study of how the brain and nervous system work. We perform a range of electro-diagnostic tests to check patients for various neurological disorders. My specialist area is long-term EEG monitoring of brain activity for epilepsy – a disorder which causes people to have seizures. I’ve worked with everyone from premature babies to elderly patients in a variety of settings, leading on collecting the information necessary for their diagnosis and guiding medical teams on finding the correct treatment. My highlights have been working with young children and feeling that sense of reward and fulfilment when you manage to get them to cooperate with the investigation and reach one step closer to managing their condition, and in many cases also improving their quality of life. I’ve also spent time in brain surgery assisting surgeons to resect the part of the brain causing seizures, following my patients through the whole journey from their diagnosis to full recovery. Working in Neurophysiology is a mixture of seeing patients on wards and in clinics, analysing complex data, and writing reports. You need to have excellent communication and inter-personal skills for working with a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, doctors, nurses and researchers. You must have good problem-solving skills and an eye for detail. You must always be willing to learn as science and technology evolves to provide the best quality care for your patients. Above all else, you need to be compassionate and kind to your patients as they move through potentially one of the most challenging phases of their life. In my Neurophysiology career, I’ve also had the opportunity to become involved in research, education, leadership and management. There are many options to further your development in Healthcare Science and a real need for us to grow our workforce to meet the evolving healthcare
Meet our Mentoring Pairs: Denise and Habon
It’s time to introduce another one of our mentoring pairs! Denise and Habon started mentoring in 2021-22, and have continued into a second year of working together. Denise is an Associate Nutritionist with a PhD in Nutrition and Food Poverty. Habon is a Year 13 student at Hammersmith Academy. Words by Amara Agwo Denise and Habon have been working together for over a year. First matched because of a shared interest in STEM Careers, their mentoring so far has gone from strength to strength. When they first matched, Habon was still deciding potential future paths for herself. She reflected that one of her favourite sessions with Denise was discussing their different paths to date: “Denise was an A-level student who wanted to study Dietetics, but fate pushed her where she is now, completing a PhD in food nutrition. This will open amazing doors for her like working in the private sector with organisations like W.H.O.” Denise has been a motivated and passionate mentor within the Catalyst community. She described her motivations for first joining the Catalyst: “I wanted to contribute to my community and provide the support that I wish I had gotten when I was younger. To show young Black girls that you really can be whoever you want to be.” Habon has found it useful to have the support of a mentor at a pivotal time in her life. There are parallels between their separate journeys, as both mentor and mentee have learnt to adapt as they figure out which paths to take. At the start of year 12, Habon had her mind set on studying medicine, and already had her top university choices picked out: “I thought I knew exactly what I wanted and where I wanted to go. However as the year went by, I developed more skills and insight on my subjects as well as getting work experience. With all these new aspects and experiences, I began to feel as if medicine was not the path I wanted to go on. All of a sudden I felt lost on what I want to do or even where to go.” Habon had been confused about what path to take, but she says that “just talking to a mentor helped me overcome the overwhelming feeling.” She now aspires to study Mathematics at university, and wants to go into the technology and engineering industry. In her journey to understand what her future may hold, Habon has modelled adaptability and perseverance. When we asked on advice for the next cohort of Catalyst mentees, she shared: “Have an open mind, you never know if you truly want something until you try it and talk about it. There are so many opportunities out there and sometimes it just takes one person to help you connect to these other amazing people.” A core of the Catalyst mentoring model is that mentors have the chance to gain as much as they give to their mentee. Denise recognised this as part of her Catalyst journey so far: “I’m grateful that I got to be part of this community that lives up to its mandate of making meaningful connections, be it with your mentee, other mentors or the team.” Habon’s last piece of advice? “Build your own network; if you want any advice for your future it is that networking is key to success. The Catalyst helped me do that and I encourage you to do the same.” And if that wasn’t persuasive enough, Denise added, “Join the Catalyst! If you are looking to inspire and be inspired this is the place to be. Everyone is truly amazing!” To get involved as part of the next cohort, mentors can visit: www.thecatalystcollective.co.uk/becomeamentor. Future mentees should watch this space, as we have something exciting coming next academic year.
Meet our mentoring pairs: Matipa and Sukai
Matipa and Sukai are a second year mentoring pair, who started working together from 2021-22. Matipa is a PhD Researcher at the University of Cambridge, and Sukai is a 2nd Year undergraduate student at the University of Kent. A few months ago, we caught up with them to talk all things mentoring, and how they’re progressing. Words by Amara Agwo “Success is very subjective. I have a holistic understanding of it, and don’t just want to focus on external versions of success.” Maptia explains, as I talk with her and her mentee, Sukai. Sukai and Matipa are a bold and ambitious mentoring pair. From the outset of their time working together, they’ve focused on what success looks like in all aspects of life, from university essay writing to financial literacy. As a young Black woman, Matipa wants to do everything possible to support Sukai in these goals: “I want to see Sukai smashing it in all areas. I just want her to excel.” As our first undergraduate university pair, these two are leading the way in terms of what a different effective mentoring can make at the start of your higher education career. This year, Sukai was focused on achieving the top grades in university, which is something her mentor – with all her experience in academia – was able to help her realise. But she also wants to grow in her personal life, through taking the time to reflect and journal. This is a match well made, with two women of drive who motivate one another to achieve all they can: “I often ask myself ‘What would Matipa do?’” Sukai shares. “You’re killing it, and that’s how I want to be!” Through mentoring, Sukai has learnt the importance of consistency, and keeping momentum. These are characteristics she admires in her mentor, and strives to emulate. Sukai and her mentor are able to “understand each other and bounce off each other’s energy.” They have a friendly dynamic, and are full of respect for one another. Sukai and Matipa are an excellent demonstration of the mutuality of the mentoring relationship – which is core to the Catalyst model. When we asked Matipa to reflect on what she was gaining and learning from Matipa, she didn’t know where to begin: “Sukai has such vision, precision, strength and fearlessness.” She notes that her mentee is not held back by her age. “It’s great to see someone doing what they know they can do.” And Sukai has big aspirations. In the future, she may like to run an NGO, and be involved in activism. As she works towards this, she has started her own organisation called ‘Talking Colours,’ which aims to help young People of Colour who have been affected by discrimination in the UK. She notes that ‘mainstream’ racism is something most people are aware of, but she wants to highlight the daily experiences that her and her friends go through. With Matipa, she is working on developing ideas and keeping momentum for the organisation. Her desire for change in this area is inspiring to her mentor: “She has shown me that Black womanhood is so nuanced. People my age have different experiences, and lots of resources are often geared towards us. It is humbling to learn about the beauty and innocence of young black people through Sukai.” To others who want to get involved in the Catalyst, Sukai has a word of advice. “Be prepared to work and to have fun. But don’t come in with too many preconceptions. Come lighthearted. Don’t feel burdened if things go wrong, or you don’t achieve everything you want to – as long as you achieve something.” Matipa echoes this, emphasising the need to “have grace for others and for yourselves.” She did not have any particular expectations when she began mentoring, but has found true joy in “the beauty of getting to know someone.” You can check out the work of Talking Colours here!
Meet our mentoring pairs: Sade and Abigail
A few months ago, we caught up with Abigail and Sade, a brilliant mentoring pair from the 2021-22 cohort. Abigail is now a Year 12 student, and Sade is a Clinical Psychologist. “The most unique part of our relationship is how well matched we are in terms of our interests. We get on really well. It’s a testament to the Catalyst matching process and the effort we have put into getting to know each other.” Sade is a clinical psychologist, working in forensic mental health. Determined that other Black women will not face the same lack of representation that she has, she decided to become a mentor with the Catalyst. “I’ve made it my business to find other Black psychologists, and to encourage the next generation.” Last academic year, Sade mentored Abigail, a year 11 student interested in the field of criminal psychology. For Abigail, mentoring proved a good way to occupy her time, and helped her to gain an insight into her chosen career path, from the valuable perspective of another Black woman. Abigail has always felt comfortable talking to her mentor: “It has been what I expected, and more. She is always motivating me and it makes me want to work harder.” As a pair, Sade and Abigail worked towards a number of goals together. One of these was to broaden Abigail’s knowledge of psychology. “Our last session was my favourite so far. I was learning more about Sade’s journey in her career.” The pair also discussed study tips so Abigail can obtain her desired grades for college, and worked on Abigail’s personal statement for university. Sade recognises that mentoring is not just a one way street. “It is such an enriching experience on both ends. I’ve gained so much and I have learnt about myself.” Seeing her mentee’s drive and commitment motivated Sade in her own life: “Abigail is such an inspiring young woman. I appreciate how open she has been about what she wants to achieve. It’s really lovely to see at such a young age.” Despite the busyness of school and work, both Sade and Abigail believe that mentoring is worth prioritising. They worked together to find a good rhythm in their meetings, through maintaining communication and being understanding when challenges come up. This pair are a wonderful example of the ethos of the Catalyst, a place where Black women support and uplift one another. But their story started long before they met one another. Sade explained that her great-grandmother is the person who most inspires her. “She is 93 and the matriarch of my family. She came here from Jamaica and built a life for her family. She inspired me to be a strong independent black woman, and this message has filtered through the generations.” “For me,” Abigail shares, “it is my mum. She has overcome so much. She is the only Black woman on her team at work, but she doesn’t let that get in the way of anything.” And in terms of words of wisdom for the incoming cohort, their advice was to “Go for it!” Sade would encourage members to embrace the valuable connection they are making, and to have fun with it. And Abigail, speaking to the mentees says, “Don’t be shy. Be comfortable with your mentor. I have learnt that there is always someone there who can guide you.”
Meet our mentoring matches: Claudia & Maryam
Time to meet another of our mentoring pairs! We have been introducing you to our mentoring pairs, so you can hear more about The Catalyst Programme, in their words. This month, meet Claudia and Maryam! Maryam is a student at Waterside Academy and Claudia is a Corporate Responsibility Advisor! Photos from an exhibition called ‘Our Time on Earth’ that Claudia and Maryam went to see at the Barbican. When Maryam’s school told her about the opportunity to have a mentor, she chose to pursue it: “I thought it would be beneficial and a good opportunity for me. It is also my first time having a mentor and being a part of a programme such as The Catalyst, so I was interested in experiencing it.” As it turns out, mentoring has not only benefited Maryam. Her mentor, Claudia, shares that she has also learnt a lot from her mentee. Claudia’s own life experiences motivated her to join the Catalyst. “When I was 15, there were no black or mixed-race role models that I could relate to. I never thought I could work in a business corporate world and I had low expectations for myself. Being a mentor means a lot to me, because I know I can give Maryam the confidence and support that I was missing when I was her age.” Claudia and Maryam have discovered that they share a lot in common. In one of their sessions together, they took a personality test. “It was great fun as we both found out that we were saying yes to all the same answers! We’re both extroverted introverts – we love solitude but also enjoy hanging out with our friends too.” Claudia and Maryam also share a love for history and True Crime. They have creatively used their common interests to strengthen their mentoring relationship and to open up new conversations about Maryam’s future. “Maryam recommended me her favourite YouTube videos to watch on True Crime which I very much enjoyed watching. I then suggested if she knew about criminology, which in turn led her to think about studying the subject at sixth form.” Together, the mentoring pair are working to complete Maryam’s CV and explore her career options. Maryam has an inquisitive nature, and with Claudia’s support, she works to prepare for her future as early as possible. As her mentor puts it, this is so “she’ll be in a strong position to make well-informed choices about her career path.” Claudia loves the phrase ‘the early bird always catches the worm’ and this attitude helps the mentoring pair as they work towards their goals and learn from one another. Maryam and Claudia are a hard-working pair. Maryam reflects on her current challenges with her science exams, and on her previous academic successes, like her SATs, where she was really pleased with her results. Yet, despite the busyness of their academic and professional lives, as Claudia says, “It’s so important to let your mind just switch off.” Claudia shares what this looks like for her, “At the end of the day after work, I always make sure I have some down time when I don’t look at my emails. Instead, I’ll read a book, do some exercise or cook!” On the topic of food, there is something else that Maryam has learnt about her mentor: “if she had to choose one food to eat for the rest of her life it would be apple crumble!” Claudia and Maryam continue to enjoy creative mentoring sessions, as well as a trip to Claudia’s office they have been to an exhibition at the Barbican “We learnt how indigenous tribal knowledge can be used to tackle climate change”. We can’t wait to see where the rest of their mentoring journey takes them!
Meet our mentoring matches: Lateesha and Jessica
Each month, we’ll be introducing you to one of our mentoring pairs, so you can hear more about The Catalyst Programme, in their own words. This month, meet Lateesha and Jessica! Jessica has just finished year 11, and attends Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy. Lateesha is a final year PhD student, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant. Jessica, thinking back to the beginning of the year, what were some of the areas you wanted to develop in? At first, I didn’t have any concrete goals, but I knew I wanted to strengthen areas that were related to confidence, self-discovery, interview prep and learning more about the culture of academia and sixth form. All these things at the time aligned with what I felt I needed the most work on and were what were important to me, so my mentor helped me create SMART goals to meet them. And how have these things changed through the year? How has your mentor been involved with this growth? Many of my goals were met, especially those linked with getting ready for sixth form and developing my confidence. Even when my goals were met, my mentor graciously challenged me. For example, when working with college interview preparations, Lateesha would ask me questions on the spot, then from those questions would branch out onto similar topics. Not only did she help me with my goals, but she did so in a way where every session all goals were being worked towards at the same time. Having a mentor with The Catalyst was an amazing advantage! They understand how to cultivate sessions where in each moment you’re being stretched and challenged. Lateesha, amongst the busyness of this year – working and completing a PhD, how have you continued to make time for mentoring, and why is this something you’re prioritising? Mentoring has been a priority because my mentee and I created a long-term plan with goals that we wanted to build towards. Each month it has been great to see the progress we have made, and this helped keep us really motivated. It really helps to agree to a monthly meeting as this can be scheduled well in advance, and for myself and my mentee we chose the same week every month and slotted those in early. Our approach then was to have some flexibility because life happens, but for the most part our meetings have stayed the same. What have you learned from working with your mentee this year? I have learned that the mentoring process can be really fun and rewarding! Supporting a young person can be as simple as listening and empathising, it really is simpler than you think. There are a lot of connections and similarities between where they are and where you were at their age so you will know what to say to help them along their way. Jessica: We’ve just completed our mentor recruitment for next year’s matches. What advice would you give to these future mentors who are just getting started? What made you decide to take part in the Catalyst? Jessica: Essentially, what made me decide to take part was my need for change. I came to the realisation that my education and my personal life was all my responsibility and as a result, I sent my application in to have a supportive mentor figure who had far more experience than me to provide guidance, motivation and setting goals. Lateesha: Throughout my life, I have benefitted from having trailblazing mentors, and I knew that when I was in a position to support young Black women, I would. I really wanted to pay it forward! Meeting Chloe and hearing more about her approach to mentoring and her vision for Catalyst, I was sold straight away. She brings fresh energy to the mentoring space and so it was a no-brainer to mentor through the Catalyst programme. Any wise words for next year’s mentors? When I first was matched with my mentee, I thought I would have to know everything and have all the answers and that honestly hasn’t been the case. So, my advice is to remember that you don’t have to have all the answers! Your mentees will just appreciate having someone to talk to who listens and supports. And finally, what is something memorable from your year of mentoring? Jessica: One particular moment from my year of mentoring that I will never forget is when I had just been assigned to Lateesha as a mentor. It was a new relationship so we had to start by finding common ground. Lateesha suggested that we take a personality test and funnily enough it turns out we had a similar personality type. It was a fun activity that definitely broke the ice and created more of a safe space for the both of us. Lateesha: I was going to say exactly the same thing! During our first session, we took a personality test and got the exact same result! It was a funny moment that allowed us to relate to and understand each other and meant that we build trust from the very beginning.
Meet our mentoring matches: Kelsey and Aisha
Each month, we’ll be introducing you to one of our mentoring pairs, so you can hear more about The Catalyst Programme, in their own words. This month, meet Kelsey and Aisha! Aisha is a year 11 student at Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy, our first ever partner school, and Kelsey is a civil servant. Aisha: How has the pandemic impacted this year of school for you? Covid has definitely changed this year. Year 11 is our last year of school, and from year 7 we’ve been thinking this will be the best year. But with Covid, the library is closed, school is closed, no prom, everything is gone or the aspects of school that were fun are all gone. Has it helped to have a mentor? Having a mentor has helped me with maintaining my social skills, has helped me continue to be aware of myself and also has helped me be aware of the responsibilities I have and be accountable for them. While my Mum knows about my mentor, it’s me who has to be responsible for coming to my sessions on time and prepared and that’s the type of practicing of accountability which will help me in college. Kelsey: Is volunteering a part of your normal routine? How does volunteering with the Catalyst support your passions or interests? I used to do a lot of volunteering, and then between a busy job and some caring responsibilities took a large chunk of time out from volunteering. When I had more time on my hands again to start volunteering, I found it really difficult to find projects I genuinely cared about where I could actually add value. Catalyst is extremely specific and I think that’s it’s major value add. It caters to and for Black women, its a for us by us moment. Many of the mentors have probably often been the only Black woman on their team or possibly even in their company, I know I have, and so to be able to guide the next generation of those Black women, so they know what the reality of the workplace might present to them is really important to me. I think volunteering is great generally, but when you can bring something of value which not many other people can, that’s when you find a fit which can be truly mutually beneficial. Kelsey: Speaking of mentoring being mutually beneficial, what are you gaining or learning from having a mentee? Aisha has taught me a lot about myself since joining the programme. We started off by doing a personality test together. It was Aisha’s first time and maybe my 6th time? But it was interesting to see my results had changed since the last time I’d done it and it was especially interesting to do the test with Aisha and speak about what we related to and what we didn’t together. That aside I think generally, as a single professional woman with no children, I curate friends and contacts which reflect experiences similar to my own. So spending time with Aisha, has just taught me to be a little bit less uptight and remember that I’m still young and there is plenty of joy to be had in life. What have you found surprising about taking part in mentoring? Kelsey: To be honest, I really don’t like kids, and so the idea of hanging out with a young person in Year 11 was not thrilling to me. I thought they would think I am boring and uncool and we wouldn’t have anything to talk about. Meeting and working with Aisha has been such a gift, we’ve got along so easily, she reassures me I’m not that uncool and its such a change from my day to day to hear about what is going on with her in school and helping to talk her through all the options she has for what she wants to do with the rest of her life. It’s genuinely a privilege. Aisha: At first I thought it would be boring, “mentor” sounds like a responsibility. But it’s more fun and enjoyable then I thought and it’s quite social. Being able to talk freely and not have to worry about what you are saying, its a very different dynamic to a teacher and a student, its much more casual and social. And finally, Aisha – what advice would you give to someone in the year below you considering having a Catalyst mentor? Have fun with the opportunity and really make the most of it. It’s important to be accountable and responsible but also to have fun and enjoy your life. Just take advantage of any opportunity which has been given to you.
