Meet Michelle, an online mentor giving career advice to high school students through The Smith Family’s iTrack program, sharing their journey as part of our ‘Share Your Story’ series.
Inspired by My Mentor
“When I was in high school, I had a mentor who helped me explore different future study and career options, which I found incredibly valuable. I remember it was so helpful to speak to an adult outside of my immediate parents and teachers connections.”
Becoming an iTrack Mentor
“When the opportunity came up in my working career to volunteer with The Smith Family as a mentor in their iTrack program, I was keen to get involved and give back to the future generation of students and young Australians. As an iTrack mentor, I provide career and future study advice to a high school student in the form of weekly online chats, over the course of a school year. It is incredibly rewarding to support my student mentee and get to know them and their interests, and help them figure out their future and what they want to do after high school. I find it so rewarding to help my student over a few months, and see them grow over time, in both their confidence in themselves and their understanding of their future.”
Encouragement to Future Volunteers
“I would say… go for it! Volunteering is a great way to get involved with a cause that I am interested in (children and education), and gives me personal fulfillment and joy. I was nervous being a mentor when I first started volunteering, as I hadn’t done it before, but it was a great learning opportunity and I have also grown and developed my experience over the years. Every week I look forward to chatting to my student, and it makes me happy to be a part of someone else’s growth. Speaking to my student also gives me perspective and encourages me to reflect on my own schooling and career journey.”
A Call to Volunteer
“I encourage you to volunteer – there are so many opportunities, for different causes and organizations, with different timeframes and commitments (from one-off events to ongoing volunteering like iTrack), there’s something for everyone.”
Photo Description
Photos of me with a ‘Thank You’ card from a student mentee.
