From Mentee To Mentor: Keiarnya Grant-Blissett Volunteer Spotlight

Why did you begin volunteering with ReachOut?

I started off as a mentee at ReachOut when I was 14. I was on the ReachOut Academy project. I really enjoyed being part of ReachOut and they gave me the opportunity to be a Junior Mentor during their summer project.

In being a Junior Mentor, I was not only able to get a feel for being a mentor/ role model to younger children, but it also gave me experience of being responsible and professional. I continued being a Junior Mentor on a number of different projects until I was experienced enough to apply to be a Senior Mentor. The idea appealed to me as I wanted to give back to the world, and to help someone as someone helped me. 

What effect do you think you had on the young people while volunteering with ReachOut?

What was really important when I was mentored myself was that I had the same mentor each week, so I was really excited about having my own mentee. The regular contact really enabled me to build a strong bond with the young person. I tried to always make sure my mentee knew I was interested in how they were doing, and that I was always there to talk to them about their worries, their failures, and their successes. In our sessions we worked on short and long term goals such as trying to make sure all homework is completed on time (short term) or getting good enough grades to get into university (long term). 

I think being mentored helped my mentee to develop personally, to think about what was important to them, and helped them to develop strategies to reach their goals.

How do you feel you developed while volunteering with ReachOut and what skills did you gain?

By volunteering with ReachOut I have been given the opportunity to gain and develop skills. I definitely feel like I can communicate with people from all walks of life, whether they be young people or potential employers.  Working as a Senior Mentor with ReachOut allowed me to develop my leadership skills, and has encouraged me to take on more responsibility. 

More than anything, I feel like volunteering has increased my confidence.

Has Volunteering changed your views or perspective on anything?

By volunteering with Reachout, I have been given an insight into issues young people face in the community. It has allowed me to realise that without Reachout, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am now, which makes me want to volunteer more to allow others to enjoy the benefits that I have. To be able to give young people that extra support and guidance they need to assist them in their life is so important. Overall I feel volunteering has not only allowed me to help young people in the community but has helped me to develop as a person and I am truly thankful for being given the opportunity.