Empowered people, empower pathways

THE VALUE OF RELATABLE ROLE MODELS.

BY FIONA WINES Head of Senior School, Deputy Principal

At Toorak, we see time and time again that when students are inspired by others who have been empowered to achieve their goals, they feel they can also achieve their dreams. As inspirational speaker and author Simon Sinek said, “A mentor is not someone who walks ahead of us and tells us how they did it. A mentor is someone who walks alongside us to guide us on what we can do.”

We have boundless avenues for our students to seek inspiration–be it our Collegian Empower Network, High Achievers and School Colours Assembly, internal leadership opportunities or even through events such as International Women’s Day. The conversations following these interactions show us that our students are actively engaged and thinking about their future pathways at various ages, not just in Year 12.

Mentorship and role modelling begins as young as Prep when our youngest Wardle House learners play and interact with our delightful Early Learning children as they soon embark on their road to Prep. The beauty of being on one campus from Early Learning to Year 12 is that we can all flourish by learning from others who are at different stages of their academic journey. Everyone is a witness to the personal and academic growth of our students across the span of their journey and that is where meaningful moments are made. We know how our students benefit from their interactions with others, how they remember the person and the stories, and are inspired by both. Along the way, students engage in many leadership opportunities where they can mentor others. It might be in TC Connect where Year 9’s act as leaders to the Year 6 and 7 students or perhaps it might be in the role of a class captain. Young people are influenced by the behaviour and ideas of others so we need to ensure that there are role models in their lives who can have a positive impact.”

An integral part of mentoring at Toorak is the Empower Network where we continue the dialogue with Collegians and recognise their values from when they thrived at School and beyond in their careers. Collegians are connected with current students to act as trusted mentors to girls who want to achieve their ambitions in a certain field. It is a safe space where students can ask questions, share experiences, explore and discover their pathway. It is an industry opportunity that cannot be found anywhere else.

Young people are influenced by the behaviour and ideas of others so it is our duty to ensure that there are role models in their lives who can have a positive impact. When they can visualise their future, they can strive towards it. The ability to connect on a more personal level can have an even greater impact on our students’ academic journey, and by providing opportunities for mentorship, it can lead to personal growth on a monumental scale.