We recently reached out to Neil* and Liam*, two recent graduates of the Sparkways mentoring program for a chat about their experiences with mentoring and how being a part of the program has impacted their life.
"Neil had a very positive impact on Liam. He was a constant, a friend, a male role model, and fun!!"
Liam had been recommended to the program by his school's wellness coordinator to help with managing past trauma. Feeling that Liam needed a positive male role model in his life, Liam's mother Helen* reached out to us to see if we had a mentor that was right for him.
Enter Neil.
"To be honest, I wasn’t aware such programs existed until I came across a poster in the local gym," says Neil.
As a driven and enthusiastic person that likes pushing themselves out of their comfort zone, joining the mentoring program looked like the perfect activity for Neil to try something new and give back to the community at the same time.
"Initially, I was quite nervous and a bit apprehensive but Sparkways do a fantastic job matching their pairs. Prior to meeting Liam, I had about a million thoughts about how it would go."
Our top priority
At Sparkways, the number priority of our mentoring program is always around supporting our young people and our mentors however we can.
We understand that fostering a great mentoring relationship isn't always easy and that it requires a lot of trust, communication and training before a match can even be made.
That's why we make sure to involve our young people and their families in every step of the process so they know exactly what to expect and so we can ensure we're providing our young people with the best possible match.
"My time with Sparkways mentoring has been wonderful. There was always great communication, and Liam’s mentor was amazing and Liam was everyone’s priority – that he was happy, that he was going well."
For our mentors, we go through a careful screening and interview process to ensure that every potential mentor is a right fit for the program and that they're able to provide a safe and respectful environment for their young person.
To help support this, we make sure that every one of our mentors goes through a mandatory training day where they're equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to support a young person in need. Throughout this training, mentors get a chance to share any questions or concerns they may have and for us to get to know our mentors better and how we can best support their mentoring journey as well.
For Neil, this was one of the number one reasons why he would recommend anyone to join our mentoring program.
"Sparkways Mentoring has been outstanding. From my first interview with a Sparkways co-ordinator, to the training day, to dealing with the area co-ordinator Neil throughout the process. Neil was there to check in on me whenever I needed, to answer any questions or concerns and just a general sounding board. The training day was great and very insightful, we covered all our question and plenty of general information."
Something to look forward to every week
After finishing his training, we quickly matched Neil and Liam together and we were very happy to see the two of them hit it off so quickly.
For the next year, Neil and Liam would meet up at least once a week to play footy, go to the cinemas, or just spend some time playing cards together. It was a great relationship, with Neil taking Liam to his very first game of tennis and Liam teaching Neil how to play games on the PlayStation!
"I think some of my favourite memories with Neil are winning my one and only game of monopoly cards, my first game of tennis, teaching him how to play games on the ps4."
More importantly though, it was a chance for Liam to have someone he could look forward to meeting and talk to every week.
Even when the Melbourne lockdown began, Neil still made sure to keep in touch and catch up with Liam once a week, even if it was only online. It should go without saying that having a stable, constant role model can do wonders for a young person's sense of self-esteem and self-confidence. Time and time again, research has shown us that the more regular a mentoring relationship is, the greater the positive outcomes are for the young person.
Among the many games of footy, basketball and tennis, Liam found in Neil someone he could trust to listen and support him whenever he needed it.
"If I have ever needed to talk to someone I could talk to him. I had something to look forward to every week, someone older in my life that I could still muck around with and talk with"
Throughout the next 12 months, and with the support from Neil, Liam began opening up more, becoming more confident and sure of himself, more willing to step outside of his comfort zone and try new things.
It was an amazing transformation and one that Neil is very proud to be a part of.
"To see a smile on Liam’s face and Liam having fun, having a laugh was by far the best thing about becoming a mentor. We had some great afternoons running around in the sun which I'll forever look back fondly on. To see Liam slowly build more and more confidence, grow as a person was very rewarding."
Go for it
We know for a fact how powerful and positive mentoring can be for everyone involved.
Ever since graduating from our program, we are very happy to hear that Neil is doing well and considers mentoring Liam to be one of the most rewarding experiences of his life.
"Have a go, don’t overthink it. From the day I met Liam, it was such a great experience and I myself are much better as a person for the experience. It’s one of the most rewarding things you’ll do. I couldn’t recommend it more."
*Names have been changed to protect privacy
Interested in becoming a mentor? Find out everything you need to know here!
15 March 2021