Volunteer Spotlight: Megan Domas

My name is Megan Domas and I am a first year law student at Queen Mary University of London. I am originally from Germany but I have always wanted to study in London because of how exciting and dynamic the city is. There is always something new to discover and enjoy; something which is reflective of my own spontaneous nature.

I first learned about ReachOut at the QMUL Welcome Fair at the beginning of my first year. Like many freshers, however, I was soon overwhelmed with all the new clubs and offers and I only followed-up on the mentoring scheme when I heard that there were still spaces available at St.Peter’s Primary School. I knew I wanted to get involved because I love working with children and I wanted to have a positive impact on a young person and consequently, on the local community as a whole. At high school, I had done something similar. I was a mentor to a younger student for nearly three years. To this day we are still good friends and we remain in touch despite being at other ends of the world. While I did not expect the same thing at ReachOut due to the scheme’s more professional nature, I was pleased to find out that I was to be assigned to a single individual whom I could focus my full attention on.

My mentee is a lively young boy, who unlike most of the other mentees, is far from shy or quiet. His boisterous nature was difficult to work with at the start - not in the sense that it was unwelcome but more because it was difficult to transfer his positive energy and spirit into his classwork without dampening it. I could always sense that he loved socializing and it was difficult being firm and insisting that he sit long enough to finish his exercises. However, from week to week I was extremely glad to see improvement in his behaviour. I started off slow by making us do short exercises and then taking a break to play a game or talk for a few minutes before resuming. Soon, I was able to see him focus more on his schoolwork as well as having more staying power in general. This was what made me enjoy mentoring the most - seeing the fact that my mentee took in the advice I gave him and to see, at the same time, our bond getting stronger. It is for these same exact reasons I would highly recommend ReachOut to anyone who wants to make a positive difference.


It is also a great opportunity, outside of just adding it to one’s CV, to hone skills very much needed in any practical aspect: responsibility, patience, empathy and leadership. It is a maturing role that increases one’s capacity to be a positive role-model in the public as a whole.