Niki and Lily were paired on our April to August 2022 Mentoring Programme. They worked together across four months, each learning and growing towards their own goals. In this blog, both mentor and mentee reflect on their journeys…
“Niki is one of the most brilliant, resilient and inspiring women I have ever met. She is also one of the most joyful women I have ever met, and I couldn’t help but learn from her as we uncovered and worked towards her goals during our journey together.”
Lily, Mentor
One of the joys of the Routes programme has been getting to know a diverse group of women who share a common set of goals: to embrace community, to lift one another up and to leave no-one behind. As leaders, it is our job to create safe workplaces and to nurture our teams. However, I am all too aware that, as women, too many of us have had at least one example of hostility that has bled into our understanding of ourselves, the world, and how we navigate the workplace. Early into the training element of the Routes programme, I experienced the ways in which the team has carefully and intentionally cultivated a supportive, encouraging and strength-building environment that challenges the norms that hostile experiences might’ve created, and how they are empowering cohorts of women to do the same. Routes has empowered us not only to transform the workplace but all of the spaces that we inhabit.
Photo above: some of the mentors on Lily’s cohort at their Meet & Greet with Mentor Programme Alumni
Exploring Routes with Niki has been a beautiful experience. Niki is one of the most brilliant, resilient and inspiring women I have ever met. She is also one of the most joyful women I have ever met, and I couldn’t help but learn from her as we uncovered and worked towards her goals during our journey together. Whilst the programme gave me the tools to create a safe space for Niki to grow, she created one for me. As I transitioned into a new career and quietly managed multiple and daunting changes in my own life, Niki unknowingly taught me how to be a better leader, and how to prioritise myself whilst being the best I can be for those around me. The Routes programme is a leadership and mentoring programme like no other and, for me, the proudest moment has been the powerful bond that Niki and I built. I look forward to seeing where our bond takes us!
Niki, Mentee
When I started the Routes programme, I was depressed, but meeting everyone on the programme was so inspiring. Everyone was always positive and had such great energy! I learned from them how great it is to be positive, to be helpful and to be there for people who are in need. This programme really helped me to push myself and my confidence is higher than it ever has been! I am proud of all that I have achieved and I am proud of my ability to always find a way to smile.
Lily always has positive energy! Even when she’s tired, she is always shining. She inspires me, tells me that I’m the best and encourages me to be my best. It’s really important because Lily’s positive energy after our sessions always stays with me and encourages me to believe in myself and all that I can achieve.
In our final session, we spoke about what our journey has meant to each other. We both said – wholeheartedly – “she makes me feel like I can be me!” We allowed ourselves to be vulnerable and that has helped us both to grow as individuals and to become more confident. My advice to future mentees is to be yourself, and to be open. You really can trust your mentor and feel confident and calm with them. Have fun!
Photo above: Mentors and mentees from Niki and Lily’s cohort at their End of Programme Celebration
