Y's Girls Mentoring Case Study

A’s first introduction to her mentor was via a pre-match meeting over Zoom. The call served as a small warm up to discover if A and her mentor would make a good match. From the get-go, it was clear to see that A was struggling with confidence and was incredibly shy. A sat next to her mum and A would not verbally communicate with us. Instead, she would whisper into her mum’s ear and have her speak on behalf of her. She kept her face hidden behind her hair and it seemed that socialising with new people, especially in new and unfamiliar situations, made A uncomfortable.

But even with those nerves, A was excited to meet her mentor in person and to start her mentoring journey. During their first sessions, they used this time to get to know each other and to learn about one another’s interests. They soon found out that they had a lot in common and were eager to see what their mentoring journey had in store for them both. Along the way, they took part in numerous activities from cupcake decorating, colouring in, painting and drawing to shopping for Christmas gifts, visiting the YMCA, going for ice cream and playing video games. They were able to learn all of the small things about each other including their favourite colours, foods and animals.

Once A was more comfortable in her mentor’s company she shared her views on bigger subjects like school, mental health and family. A soon began to come out of her shell and her intelligence and witty sense of humour began to show. She grew more and more comfortable when it came to expressing herself and was able to vocalise her opinions and thoughts well.

A’s main passions of anime and art went hand in hand and soon she was showing off her talented artworks and creating new pieces of art during their sessions– leaving her mentor regularly speechless. A’s mentor also helped her to formulate and work on goals, one of which was for A to travel to Perth by bus independently. A was apprehensive at first and, for a while, it seemed like achieving this goal would not be a possibility. A’s mentor decided to take this goal slowly and accompanied A on her first bus ride to Perth which helped put her at ease. In no time, A was riding the bus all on her own! Now, A has no problem riding the bus on her own in order to attend sessions – a huge achievement!

Throughout the mentoring experience, A has grown exceptionally in confidence. She is chatty with a great sense of humour and is able to articulate herself well. Her skills in drawing and art continue to improve and she is even experimenting with new art styles. She also started high school which she has taken in her stride and is thoroughly enjoying, specifically music and art class! Mentor and mentee are excited and enthusiastic to work together to help A reach her new goals and grow into a confident and ambitious young woman!