Turning potential into real success
| Date | 21 April 2021 |
| Published date | 21 April 2021 |
| Publication title | Wishaw Press |
Two years ago, Jasmine was a second-year pupil at St John Ogilivie High School in Hamilton. Lacking motivation and a sense of belonging within the school community, she was of the view that her teachers just didn't get her.
Despite being disengaged and seemingly uninterested, it was clear to her teachers that Jasmine was bright. Although she was frequently the ringleader when trouble broke out during a lesson, many of her fellow students would leave class without any of the knowledge the teacher had tried to impart. Unlike them, Jasmine had soaked it all up.
Now she's going places - and it's not just down the corridor to be asked to explain to the deputy head why she'd again disrupted class and been rude and cheeky to her teachers.
Jasmine's fortunes changed in 2019 when she was identified as a teenager with the potential to benefit from a match with a mentor through MCR Pathways - a Glasgow-based charity whose mentors bridge talent with opportunity and empower disadvantaged young people to unlock their potential.
Explaining why the mentoring programme was so keen to involve Jasmine, pathways coordinator Charmaine Falconer said: "Jasmine had the ability to make it seem like she wasn't engaging in class, but then answer all the questions at the end. She is naturally clever and can get by without trying. So, imagine what she can achieve when she does try.
"I told Jasmine we would find someone that was similar to her, who would 'get' her and show her there was a better way of doing things. We got to know and trust each other."
Hoping that an introduction might persuade her to follow an alternative path, Jasmine agreed to participate.
In the process of finding a match, mentors and young people are asked a similar set of questions about their interests, their challenges, what they get from their school or work life, and what they want to take from their education or career.
"Jas was in a bit of a bad place, and was not thinking of the future. She was coming to school because her mum was telling her to," continued Charmaine.
"What I liked about James was he was focussed enough, but not to the point of berating her. He treats everyone the same way. He has the same tone for everyone, and I think that is really...
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