In honour of National Mentoring Day, Eliana shares her powerful journey as a mentor. From the nerves of that first meeting to the joy of seeing her mentee grow in confidence, Eliana highlights the impact mentoring can have and her own advice to new mentors from her own experience with The Kids Network. 

I started my mentoring journey in February, and it has been better than I could have ever imagined. 

That first meeting was daunting: it felt like it was such a big responsibility, and I was scared that we wouldn’t have anything to talk about. My nerves were quickly calmed when my mentee bounced into the cafe, sat down and immediately started talking about Taylor Swift. I knew that we would get along just fine! 

Me and my mentee slowly built trust through activities that allowed us to get to know each other, such as creating a mood board that we felt represented us and then swapping and discussing them. 

The most essential thing that I have learnt is the importance of letting them know that you are there for them, and that you accept them as they are. The most surprising part of the process is how much I have learnt from my mentee. She has taught me how to make slime, the latest TikTok dances, but most importantly, she inspires me to see life in a different way. 

It has been such a privilege to learn from her the importance of resilience, having a sense of humour, and the ability to find the fun in life.  

To anyone who has just started mentoring, I would say that the best thing you can do is allow yourself to be guided by your mentee. It is so important to listen to their likes and dislikes and develop their existing qualities and talents. By doing this, you allow yourself to empower them and build their confidence. 

I would also emphasise the importance of always having a backup plan up your sleeve, as you never know what mood your mentee will be in or what the weather will be like. Having two options of activities allows your mentee to decide for themselves what they want to do, which is a great way to encourage them to be more independent. 

Finally, I would advise any new mentors to be fully present during your sessions. By turning my phone off and putting aside anything else that is going on in my life, I allow myself to focus on how meaningful, fun and unique our relationship is. It is such a special opportunity for you and for them, so it is important that you show up each week calm, present, and ready to have fun!