This blog post was written by mentee Linda, who graduated from the Routes Mentoring Programme in February 2023, after four months of mentoring with her mentor. Find out more about the programme by reading the blog post below and exploring our website!
My name is Linda.
I have heard about Routes Mentoring Programme through Say It Loud Club, a kind charity which helps refugees and asylum seekers in need. I joined the programme because I wanted to be part of something beautiful and amazing. It proved me right.
From the time I remember, I have always wanted to be an architect. I have always been attracted to art, design, and drawing. I arrived in the UK in 2010 and got my bachelor’s degree in 2014 in Business of Arts. At the time, I did not have the opportunity to study design. From 2015 to 2021, life was tough because of personal issues. Until I got introduced to Routes in 2022, I was mentally low.
Before joining the programme, I had not had a mentor before. As a result, I was very much excited, apprehensive (a bit nervous too) the first time we met. It was via Zoom, and all went wonderfully well. How would it not be? My mentor Alexandra is an architect. A very nice person.
Alexandra shared with me so many things. I have enjoyed the online free drawing lessons offered at Artyfactory.com. I have learned some technique skills required to draw which I had not a clue on how to start initially. We also discussed master classes architects such as Giancarlo De Carlo and Frank Gehry whose works are total wonder. I have come to realise, architecture is not only a structural edifice of buildings, but something deeper as it affects society on a high level. Architecture brings happiness into people’s life.
My mentor Alexandra also encouraged me to apply for a bursary in Design subject in a London University, which I happily did. Hopefully I will get my portfolio ready in time for the interview which again, I hope, will be successful.
The Routes Mentoring Programme has been a wonderful experience which I will forever be grateful for because it gives me the opportunity to meet kind-hearted people, people who bring light into people’s life, people I knew not existed in today’s world. Before Routes, I would not have dreamt of getting close to my dream job. Now however, I am filled with hope, optimism, and confidence in reaching my goal one day. I will not finish without mentioning Routes’ educational programmes which have been so helpful in building up my confidence.
To Routes mentoring programme, I just want to say thank you.
Reflections from mentor Dee, Product Manager at Investec, who mentored on our 9th Mentoring Programme.