Twenty-year-old Diana Pusey, a graduate of Haile Selassie High School, now preparing to enter a health care programme at the HEART/NSTA Trust, believes that all young people need a mentor. The former ‘mentee’ declares:
“Even when you have parents, there are times when you really need a mentor to distract your mind from your current challenges!”
Renee Kitson, the caring adult who mentored Diana three years ago, is even more emphatic on the importance of mentoring, as she explains,
“I wanted to become a mentor because I got value myself from a mentor. When I was growing up, I had a mentor in church, and I saw the value in having somebody to talk to externally from my parents. I know that without guidance and support and without people who are generally in your corner, it can be difficult for a young person.
“I benefited from mentoring, and I wanted to do that for someone else – that’s why I chose to be a part of the EU BRIDGE mentoring Programme.
Renee is a Lecturer with the School of Arts Management and Humanities at the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts and Diana was among 93 young adults who benefited from mentoring under the EU BRIDGE Programme.
Funded by the European Union, the three-year BRIDGE Project was executed by The MultiCare Youth Foundation (MYF), the philanthropic arm of the ICD Group, and its partners. The Programme’s acronym explains its critical objectives of Building through Reintegration, Intervention, Development, Growth and Education.
Diana and Renee report that their mentoring relationship was both enjoyable and valuable, and that they remain friends today.
Diana notes that Renee helped her with guidance about her career path and aspirations, advice about ‘the learning world’ and provided vital practical help in acquiring important documents like her birth certificate, passport and voter identification.
“I got plenty advice and good career guidance,” Diana says, “I liked (the mentorship) very much, and it helped me a lot.
Renee mentions starting out trying to offer advice over the phone, then switching to face-to-face meetings where guidance could be offered during fun times, cultural and entertainment events, etc.
One memorable highlight was their mutual love of the arts, and their collaboration on the creation of the Project’s mural at Haile Selassie High School, officially credited to both, though Diana notes that the creation was mostly by her skilled mentor.
