Introducing our new Programme Manager!
As we step into the New Year, we’re excited to welcome Imani to her new role as Programme Manager at The Catalyst Collective! Imani studied Sociology and Criminology at the University of Birmingham and graduated with a First Class degree. Whilst studying, she worked as a mentor at a local secondary school which sparked her interest in working with young people in education. Since then, Imani has gained wide experience leading and developing programmes for young people in the non-profit sector and is dedicated to creating meaningful change in education and youth development. Imani has a passion for widening participation and ensuring that young people from marginalised backgrounds have access to opportunities that allow them to thrive. When she is not working, Imani can be found DJ’ing, where she enjoys expressing her love for music and creativity. Alongside this, Imani loves to travel and is currently learning Spanish to build her confidence in navigating new cultures and conversations on her travels. As Programme Manager, Imani is excited to empower young Black girls at the Catalyst to build their confidence, resilience and aspirations needed for long-term success. Drawing on her professional experience, she is keen to bring her creative flair to The Catalyst Collective and support the continued growth and impact of its programmes. We’re excited to welcome Imani to the Catalyst team and see the impact she will make in her new role at The Catalyst Collective. Imani will be responsible for our Core Mentoring programmes, enrichment activities, and will act as Mentor Coordinator for two partner schools.
Diva’s Mentoring Journey
Diva was a mentee on our 2023/24 cohort. When she first signed up to our programme, she was about to enter Year 10, and one of her main goals was to gain a clearer picture of her future career. She was interested in several career options, including being a flight attendant, so we matched her with Kasey, a Cabin Crew Talent Acquisition Coordinator, who was also happy to support a mentee with varied career interests. Kasey and Diva built a strong rapport over the year – when asked about her match with her mentor, Diva said “I like that Kasey is kind and very comfortable and she is aware of how to talk and help me relax. [She] takes interest in my goals.” During their meetings, the pair explored a range of career options, as well as working on Diva’s other goals, including improving GCSE study skills, and choosing sixth form subjects. For Diva, the programme has had a significant impact on how she works towards her goals. “Mentoring has continued to encourage me to strive for anything in life if you are willing to work for it, even if you have a different appearance. It gives me hope and a more clear path of my future.” Diva has also been able to step into roles of responsibility whilst on the programme. Her school acknowledged her as an advocate for the Catalyst amongst her peers, with Diva commenting “I wanted my friends to get out of it as much as I had and to see the benefits”. She was a member of the Catalyst Youth Advisory Board, where she had a say in planning the first Catalyst residential weekend, which took place in April. The residential was also Diva and Kasey’s first time meeting in person, and for Diva, the scavenger hunt they did together was one of the most memorable moments of their mentoring relationship so far! She also noted the ‘future-self’ letter writing and public speaking activity as another highlight, saying that it helped the mentees build teamwork and confidence. Diva really enjoyed the residential weekend, remarking that “it was exciting, funny and calming. I enjoyed the activities [but] it still focused on our goals, and if we had any problems anyone was available. It presented new ideas and showed me how others understand things. I loved every step of it and if I could I would do it again.” On what she thinks of the mentoring programme, Diva shares “I love the Catalyst Collective and the support we all get. I think it’s a wonderful programme because the people we are paired with are relatable to us.” It has been a pleasure to have Diva, and her mentor Kasey, on the programme, and we can’t wait to see where Diva’s future leads!
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.
From Mentee to Medicine!
Ernesta was part of our 2021 pilot cohort. We met her through Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy, one of our brilliant partner schools. Recently we got in touch with Ernesta to hear about her experiences working with her mentor, Nikita, and how the programme has helped her over the long term. A key foundation of a Catalyst mentoring relationship is that pairs develop SMART goals to work on throughout the year. On the programme, Ernesta was focused on improving her organisation. “When I started mentoring I was revising for my GCSE’s and struggling with organisation skills, which made revision difficult. Additionally, I was also preparing for boarding school and I knew that my lack of organisation would make this transition into boarding school difficult for me. So organisation became one of my main goals to ease the revision process and my transition into boarding school.” In working on her SMART goals, Ernesta really appreciated having someone to keep her accountable. “Regular check-ins helped me to keep focused on my goals. I also had mini goals that I would try to achieve between our check ins which helped me to make steady progress towards my bigger goals. If I wasn’t able to meet these mini goals [Nikita] would help me to figure out where I went wrong so that when I was approaching the goal again I had a better game plan in mind.” The mentoring pair developed a supportive and empowering mentoring relationship, with Ernesta remarking “I appreciated how invested Nikita was in my progress. It was like we were on a journey together, so whenever a goal was achieved, it felt like we achieved it together which made celebrations more meaningful!” After completing the programme, Ernesta made a successful transition to boarding school, commenting that “it was an amazing experience.” She found that the lessons she had learnt during mentoring were invaluable to her as she continued her academic journey. “One of the biggest lessons I learnt with my mentor was the importance of being kind to myself through taking breaks. In the past I would often ignore the importance of giving myself a chance to recharge which caused burn out. My mentor helped me to find activities that would give me a break from school work. Once I incorporated these into my schedule I noticed that I wouldn’t be burn out anymore which really helped to persevere with revision so that I could get better results.” Ernesta is currently enjoying the last month of her gap year before she starts university in September. She’ll be studying Medicine at University of Leicester. She would encourage others to “take full advantage” of the Catalyst programme, because it’s an “opportunity to get advice from wonderful people that have already been through a path similar to the one that you are going to take.” She also sees the value of the wider Catalyst network, explaining that, through getting to know other mentors and mentees on the programme, “you could end up benefiting from what [they] have also learnt.” Ernesta loved getting the opportunity to network at the end of year celebration, where she was also able to reflect on her growth throughout a year of mentoring. On her overall reflections on mentoring, Ernesta shared that “Mentoring gave me a really big confidence boost. It was one of the first times I decided to think about the goals that I wanted to achieve. So when I was able to achieve these goals it really gave me confidence that if I put my goals down on paper and make a loose plan for myself then I can always work towards my goals.”
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,
3 Years of The Catalyst!
A few months back, The Catalyst celebrated its three year anniversary. Chloe Lewis, founder and programme director, shares her reflections on the amazing journey so far. Just over 3 years ago, we were in the midst of a Covid lockdown, and I had volunteered to run a GCSE exam prep workshop – virtually of course – with a group of students from Eastside Young Leaders Academy. The group happened to be all Black girls. They were – as I have found Black girls always are – brilliant, engaged and ambitious. I finished the session and sent a text to Eastside’s founder (who happened to be my dad!) “Do the girls have mentors?” ”No.” ”OK, I’m pretty sure I can find them some!” And so, that was it and we were off. The pilot cohort was that same small group – 6 girls in year 11, paired with me and 5 friends. We met monthly between January and August, had our first mentoring social on Zoom and wrapped up the year with KFC and games. It was, to me, proof of concept – that Black professional women, busy though they were, could spare an hour or so to be role models and support systems for the upcoming generation of young Black women. 3 years later, I have found that to be true, time after time. Now, we’re a team of 7 with 5 partner schools. We’re still working with Eastside, and have expanded to different schools across London, with an ambition to start working with schools in other cities in the coming year. We’ve matched 75 mentoring pairs this academic year, planned and delivered socials and career events, are developing some exciting partnerships with businesses and have a vocal Youth Advisory Board. Our pilot cohort girls are now applying to university, and some are still in touch with their mentors to this day. It’s been the steepest learning curve of my own career – taking something that started as a Covid project, and growing it into a non-profit organisation, with supporters and funders and staff. It’s busy work; relationships are important but not always easy, and in an ever evolving world, the advice and guidance young people need is going to have to keep developing and shifting. But 3 years on, my overriding feeling is gratitude. I’m really grateful to be a part of this community, and to have created the kind of thing I wish I had access to when I was a young person and the only Black girl in my school. I am grateful for the mentors that give so much of themselves to be present role models to our girls, and for their abundant patience, creativity and energy. I’m grateful for the schools that support our programming and recognise why we do what we do, for this group of young people. I’m grateful for the generosity of our funders who have kept this organisation sustainable. To the staff team, who hold everything together. All of this makes it possible for the Catalyst girls to have easy access to brilliant Black women from all professional fields to support them. It means that their first contacts in the career fields they’re aspiring toward are people who look and live a bit like them. Most of all, I’m grateful to the young Black women that make up the Catalyst community, all of whom are on their way to very successful places, but choose to let us be part of their story. Our girls have said: “It’s one of the best decisions that I have ever made. It helps you build a network and someone that you can talk to about anything” and that “being able to talk about my struggles as a young black women felt more at ease because there was someone there who related.” So, if it works for them, it works for me! Here’s to 3 more great years. Our first end of year party, and our most recent one!
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
Law Insight Day at Irwin Mitchell Solicitors
In October 2023, aspiring lawyers from across our mentoring programmes visited Irwin Mitchell Solicitors. The day was meticulously organised, featuring a series of engaging sessions designed to offer insights into the daily life of a lawyer. A huge thank you to Clemmie and the team at Irwin Mitchell Solicitors for hosting us. Here’s how two Catalyst mentees, Jemimah and Britnel, found the day: Jemimah, Year 12 Visiting Irwin Mitchell Solicitors was a transformative experience that opened my eyes to the world of law and left me inspired for the future. I signed up for the Irwin Mitchell Insight Day for a few reasons. I wanted to: 1. Immerse myself in a legal workplace. 2. Learn more about different routes into and roles available within a law firm. 3. Understand what a day in the life of a law firm looks like. Most importantly, I wanted to use this experience as a test to determine if law was my true calling! One highlight of the day was participating in a riveting debate on the regulation of and issues surrounding e-scooters. For the debate, we had to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to come up with points in favour or against the motion. I loved working collaboratively with my team, confidently presenting our ideas and arguments. Though the verdict was a draw, I’m convinced my team won! Another highlight was listening to a presentation by Angela Jackman KC, Partner at Irwin Mitchell and Windrush generation descendant who has achieved remarkable success in the legal field despite facing countless challenges. Her story was truly inspiring and I’m grateful to the Catalyst Collective for the opportunity to meet such an amazing woman! What did I learn from my time at Irwin Mitchell? One key takeaway was the flexibility and benefits of apprenticeships, which combine real work experience with theoretical learning at a local university. The revelation that apprenticeships allow you to make money without accumulating student loan debt and while gaining qualified lawyer status was enlightening. Hearing from current apprentices shattered myths and answered questions I’ve always had about doing an apprenticeship. As a result of this experience, I’m motivated to seek more work experience opportunities and explore both university and apprenticeship options. My trip to Irwin Mitchell has left me with a newfound determination to pursue my dreams. Whether that’s in law or another field, I can’t wait to see where the path ahead takes me. Britnel, Year 12 As I plan to pursue a career in the law in future, visiting Irwin Mitchell Solicitors seemed like a great place to start and it definitely lived up to expectations! At Irwin Mitchell, we met a number of talented employees including young people on their apprenticeship scheme. Through speaking with them, many of us came away inspired to seriously consider the option of apprenticeships. After going on a tour of the offices, we heard from solicitors from the human rights and financial departments about how their lives have been transformed working here. We also took part in a lively debate about whether e-scooters should be banned – leaving debaters on both sides curious to find out more! What stuck with me personally was an employee sharing her experience of handling an inquest and other cases. Another memorable moment was when another employee recounted how she successfully advocated in court for a Black boy to be able to wear cornrows at secondary school in Harrow. What an achievement! I learned a lot from my time at Irwin Mitchell. One thing I’m taking away from the experience is that even if you’re feeling unsure about your future, there’s always an end goal. It’s ok if things don’t always go as planned – sometimes a change in can lead to something better. Overall, visiting Irwin Mitchell reinforced that I do want to study law in the future and hopefully working there one day will be an option. Thank you so much Irwin Mitchell for having us!
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.
