Danielle’s Story

Danielle, a Year 12 student, began her journey as a Stars Peer Mentor in 2023. It was evident from the beginning that Danielle’s desire to become a Peer Mentor came from a genuine heart to support the new Year 9’s. With open arms, she welcomed the new students to Tamaki College with warmth, kindness, and compassion.

There were challenges through her journey as a Peer Mentor. However, Danielle showed great resilience in her willingness to not only shake off the difficult moments, but also by showing up consistently through these times. She took time to reflect and learn what can be learnt from such challenges with the goal of growing her leadership skills.  

During the week-to-week of peer mentoring, Danielle developed her teamwork abilities along with her front-facing skills. Danielle beautifully wrote up content on the whiteboard and was a strong leader while facilitating lessons. This improved her confidence and public speaking abilities. Danielle showed traits of an up-and-coming administrator, she delivered content with a thoughtful and creative edge when she was with her Year 9’s. She identified the students who are not as comfortable in participating and took initiative by getting alongside them and encouraging them to be a part of the group.

By participating in the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s Stars programme, Danielle has become confident in who she is as a leader. She encourages other Peer Mentors to be confident within themselves and inspires them to find their own voice and individuality within their leadership style.