It was no surprise Olivia became a Stars Peer Mentor in 2015 when given the opportunity to sign up after being mentored by great role models when she was starting as a year 9 at Rutherford High School.

Olivia was never nervous but excited by the opportunity to guide young students through high school and help them gain confidence within themselves and others. Leading up to becoming a peer mentor, all the students get to attend a training day which allows them to interact with each other, build relationships and plan out strategies on tasks and games to play with the younger students.

When mentoring young people, Olivia quickly learnt being adaptable was one of the biggest ways to connect with the younger students. For some students, they were reluctant and didn’t want to partake in activities, she found sitting down and having general conversations opened up students and changed the view on mentors to be relatable and less intimidating. This encouraged students to interact not only inside the classroom but during lunch breaks and after school.

One of the biggest takeaways from being a stars peer mentor for Olivia was the opportunities that came from the community project and doing something positive for other people. Meeting people through the community and the Graeme Dingle Foundation allowed Olivia to get her very first corporate job at Kerridge & Partners which is something she will always appreciate and remember.

Download PDF version here