Ramla’s story
Ramla first came to our Bristol East centre when she was in Year 5 and attended a Primary FOCUS workshop. Soon after, she started attending Academic Support.
Ramla comes from a fairly large family and speaks English as an additional language. Centre staff have seen her develop strong relationships and grow in confidence from someone who was shy to speak at all, to someone who is keen to take on a leadership role in the Student Council. The centre provides a space for Ramla to complete her homework and has given her opportunities, such as having a Mentor.
Ramla at IntoUniversity Bristol East
“Mentoring helps me, it’s really good. With Mentoring, the world doesn’t exist around you – it’s just you and your mentor and you are getting all the focus on you. My grades have improved – also my confidence has improved. I have so much confidence from this place – when I was younger I used to be so quiet I wouldn’t even say hello when I came in. I only used to speak to my Mum, I didn’t speak at school either. At IntoUniversity, you can be yourself and you don’t have to hide anything.’
Now, my immediate [goal for the] future is to pass my GCSEs because two years isn’t long – [they’re] just around the corner – and to improve my grades- I have been doing revision with my mentor. My goal is to study Midwifery, or maybe I might travel the world because there is more to see in the world. I have also always wanted to do dance. I think IntoUniversity has opened my mind up because before I was scared, I didn’t know what to do when I was older, and now I feel like my mind has opened up and I have choices of what I want to, where I want to go, where I want to travel, what I want to achieve.”
Mentoring helps me, it’s really good. With mentoring, the world doesn’t exist around you – it’s just you and your mentor and you are getting all the focus on you.