Messages from Emily’s mentees
“My mentor Emily is such a great mentor and it is so fun getting to know each other! She talks to me about my VI needs, school, and all kinds of nice stuff. We ask each other questions and if I need any tips about exams or something, she gives me great ones.
Emily is so kind and supportive and I wish her the very best of luck!”
“Emily is so friendly and I have loved getting to know her. She has shown me even though it’s hard there is always someone to be there and support you. She is a really lovely girl and deserves a lot.”
Meet Emily
I’m Emily, I’m 22 and a Marketing Intern from Birmingham. When I was 11,
me and my younger brother were both diagnosed with a genetic,
degenerative eye condition: Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP).
As I began to lose my vision slowly over time, my parents looked for organisations that could support us… and that’s how we found LOOK! We attended a family weekend
in Worcester and have been involved with the amazing things that LOOK does
ever since!
I soon became a mentee as I was looking for guidance and reassurance
regarding applying and going to university as a disabled student. My mentor
gave me endless advice and support on leaving home and living away for university
which aided my confidence and ensured I felt prepared for higher education.
My experience of being a mentee inspired me to want to help someone else
the same way that my mentor helped me!
Last year, I was connected with my first mentee! Reassuring someone that
they’re not alone, that you’ve been where they are, and that there are
strategies and technologies that can help, feels really rewarding.
From my personal experience of being a mentor, I found that by taking the
time at the beginning of the partnership to really get to know your mentee,
you can connect first and foremost as two people with shared interests,
rather than two people with a shared experience of sight loss.
This can form a firm foundation for future, more difficult conversations. For your mentee to open up to and take away what they need from the experience. It is
invaluable for them to trust you and see the platform as a safe space.
