"Having been in prison a long time, I knew I always wanted to become a Shannon Trust mentor. Because of my own struggles and my own situation, I knew I wanted to help people. If I can be who I want to be and overcome my struggles, then I can help other people overcome their struggles.
"Being transgender, it was hard to put myself forward to become a mentor, but it was the first thing I did as Jennifer and I’m proud of myself for being open and honest. It has given me more confidence, and it gives me a sense of pride that I can help people achieve their goals.
"Working on induction wing, I can see everyone when they come in and help sign post them to Shannon Trust if they need help. Being dyslexic myself, I know how difficult it must be for people who struggle to read. Going through the Turning Pages guides with the learners also helps me understand how to write sentences. And if I don’t know what something means, I’ll ask someone else so I can be honest with my learners.
"Sometimes it’s hard to get people to concentrate, but you just have to be patient with them. Seeing how happy learners are and their enthusiasm makes it all worth it in the end.
"What makes Shannon Trust so great is that it’s always about the learners and not about us as mentors. They control their learning and their own experience, while giving them structure.
"I have one word for what I think about Shannon Trust and Turning Pages, and that’s excellent!"
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