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Issue 12, June 2009 |
What’s New at Life ChangingSISTER2sister NewsMeet our SistersSASSI NewsDiary NotesMedia BuzzSponsor SpotlightMedia Buzz |
"In life you’ve got to make
choices that make sense
for you, because there’s always
going to be somebody
who’ll think you should do
something differently."
- First Lady Michelle Obama
Can you help? • Seeking storage space for Bootcamp kits which are only used once a year. • Seeking community groups to provide lunch (eg sausage sizzle) for: • Volunteers needed to help in the office during business hours. • Seeking a suitable venue for our Graduation Evening in Sydney on Saturday 14th November. Please contact syd@lifechangingexperiences.org for further information. |
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Assisting the lives of
Australian youth,
by providing support,
inspiration and opportunity
to allow them to realise
their full potential.
Meet our Sisters
Big Sister, Cora inspires us with this moving account of her mentoring journey so far with Little Sister, Steph.
I have always believed that "whatever we have been given, however big or small, we can share." I signed up as a volunteer mentor in LCEF to share my personal experience with a disadvantaged teenager hoping to make a positive difference in her life. It was really exciting for me to join this program to "share whatever I have been given". Whilst my background is in Finance, I have a special interest and training in personal development and human behaviour. I thought that I was in a great position to be a mentor having started life with absolutely nothing and now having everything I’ve ever wanted – a decent education, a loving relationship, a happy family life, a successful career, living and enjoying a healthy lifestyle of choice. But Butterfly Bootcamp convinced me that nothing could have really prepared me for this journey.
This is not about sharing what I have. This program is about searching, finding, knowing and understanding what my Little Sister does not have – what she is looking for; who she wants to become; what she wants to do; being happy with the choices she makes. And just being there for her.
Little Sister, Steph
My Little Sister is Stephanie. Steph is a great person. She was 15 when we first met at Bootcamp. She has a great supportive family. She is good natured, talented and mature for her age. She is very positive, friendly, courteous, sweet and very respectful. She is very creative, insightful, loves art and beautiful things. She is as normal as many teenage girls (and most women!) with a love to shop , put on make up, nail polish and have a great hairstyle.
What I learned from Steph is that she is not very fond of school. I can sense from our conversations that there are unpleasant experiences she associates with school. As I am a big believer that education and training are major tools for happiness & success, as a mentor, although I cannot advise that the best way for her is this path, I encouraged her to enjoy aspects of school that bring her happiness and fun like friends and activities that interests her. My principle behind this is that: success in school may not always bring you happiness; but happiness in school will always bring you success. That is why we need to find those happy moments to build on.
At Bootcamp, Steph, together with all other Little Sisters, set the goals she wanted to achieve. Her first goal was to get her L-plate license in January 2009. She passed the CBT and got her license as soon as she turned 16! What a fantastic start!
Her next goal was to save up a deposit for her first car. By helping mum and dad in their local café in Penrith, Steph is trying to save $ 250 a month. This is an ongoing goal which I would love to see achieved at the end of the year. So far, so good.
Steph’s other big goal this year was to get a job that she loves. In March, Steph applied as a receptionist in a local real estate agent. Over a hundred applicants tried their luck for this position. Steph was shortlisted as one of the top ten candidates. A few weeks later, Steph was offered the position! Steph started her reception duties in April 2009. What a great success story!
In May, however, Steph quit her dream job which she describes as too much for her. As she has also quit school, she is now re-assessing her options.
The SISTER2sister Journey so far…
My favourite part of the program is Bootcamp at the start of the year. This was the time when relationships were formed between Steph and myself, other Little Sisters, other Big Sisters and all LCEF staff. This was a big bonding moment for me allowing me to peep into the window of what lies ahead in the months to come. I enjoyed the entire Bootcamp experience - the relationships formed, the time spent with my Little Sister, the knowledge gained from the workshops, the fun, support, challenges, achievements and the celebrations of success. Like many others have said, Bootcamp stretched my comfort zone in various aspects of my life. I left with so much insight - sometimes with questions, often times with answers to why I need to be a part of the Sister2sister program. Bootcamp is the foundation of this year long journey; the first step to a change process.
Steph and myself share a good relationship these days. It’s not "up there fantastic" nor great, but good enough that we are in constant communication with each other. At Bootcamp, I found that Steph wouldn’t talk to me as much as I would have liked. My challenge as a mentor was to manage the change process without adequate feedback. After Bootcamp, I was told that Steph requested for another Big Sister. For whatever reasons, I respected her. We stayed together as a pair and tried to communicate better. I encouraged Steph to build good relationships with other Big Sisters if she would like to and if that would help her. A month later, Steph started communicating regularly. I was really happy that our relationship has improved well. Throughout these times, I focused my sight on my bigger intention to share whatever I can, to help make a positive difference - help her find what she wants, who she wants to become , how to get there and what makes her happy.
I admire Steph for her efforts in demonstrating her commitment to this program. I know for sure that once she sets her goal, she can focus to achieve it. She has done it more than once and I’m sure going forward she will continue doing that. I wish Steph would make the most out of the Sister2sister Program and trust that mentors like me (with age and experience) can help her achieve her goals. My story is not much different from other Big Sister/Little Sister relationships where the Big Sister has so much offer. The opportunities are vast; the possibilities are unlimited – only if the Little Sisters would like to accept the offer.
The only thing I can gain out of this program is the knowledge that somehow, I have made a positive change in Steph’s life. Whether it happens this year, next year, in five years or ten, it doesn’t matter. Even just a tiny positive influence would be a huge priceless precious gem for me – a great source of satisfaction and fulfillment of a positive intention.
