Rachel Carr, our Chief Executive and Co-Founder, reflects on the little moments in a students' journey that are so essential on the longer road to success, as well as the little moments which have defined IntoUniversity's partnerships.
One of my favourite aspects of my job is celebrating our young people’s major achievements – whether that’s getting a place at their chosen university, a successful start at Secondary school, or sharing their news when they begin a new job and realise a key career ambition. But this year I’ve also enjoyed hearing about many of the little moments that lead to those major achievements, sometimes taken for granted, perhaps seemingly unremarkable, brushed over or forgotten…but little moments which are so essential on the longer road to success.
The ten-year-old at Academic Support who is elated at a breakthrough in mastering fractions. The teenage mentee who practised a speech with a committed mentor and gained a much-needed confidence boost in public speaking. The one-to-one career session with an Education Worker, where a Year 13 school leaver found out about a local apprenticeship.
When you work over the long term with young people, supporting them on their journey through Primary, then Secondary school and then out into the wider world – as we do at IntoUniversity – the cumulation of hundreds and thousands of such little moments can have a profound impact on the future success of our young people. Through a combination of our support and their tenacity, talent and hard work, those numerous little moments are threads, which when woven together, create a rich tapestry of dreams met and ambitions realised. Little moments which cumulatively shape and change lives and futures.
“Through a combination of our support and their tenacity, talent and hard work, those numerous little moments are threads which, when woven together, create a rich tapestry of dreams met and ambitions realised. Little moments which cumulatively shape and change lives and futures.”
It’s all too easy to forget that sometimes it is the little moments, that may seem insignificant, which go on to have the biggest impact for a young person. And our passionate and hardworking staff deserve immense credit for their tireless work in supporting our students week in and week out, taking interest and pride in those ongoing small but significant successes and achievements. So I am particularly pleased that we have found time this academic year to delight in and celebrate some of those apparently ordinary and everyday moments.
Alongside individual student journeys, there have also been many, many little moments leading to a transformative impact during IntoUniversity’s journey from one to forty-three centres – and all of our supporters and partners are threads in the IntoUniversity tapestry too! A mention of the charity’s work by a supporter attending a social event…which led to a visit to a session of Academic Support and a new donor; the head of a Widening Participation team kindly offering to find us a room to host a Primary FOCUS graduation…which in future years led to a full university partnership and a new centre; the corporate partner who sent out an email requesting IntoUniversity volunteers…and the student whose ambition to start his own business was ignited during ongoing meetings with his new corporate mentor.
IntoUniversity now works with over 50,000 young people each year with the crucial help of over 165 supporters and partner organisations – that’s scope for a lot of little moments…and life-changing impact.
