"Underneath the nerves, it was clear that she was a determined student" - Neave's Story

Neave is a student in Year 8 at the John F Kennedy Catholic School in Hemel Hempstead. Neave was often shy and nervous in new situations and was selected by her school to join the Rising Futures programme because she rarely raised her hand to ask for help in class, and teachers had identified that this was hindering her progression.

Richard, her personal Yes Futures Coach said:

"Underneath the nerves, it was clear that she was a determined student and was motivated to better herself - sparks of potential were definitely evident."

Alongside a series of one-to-one coaching sessions with Richard, Neave also attended the Yes Futures World of Work Day with EY. Adapted to be delivered online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, students were joined by employees from different areas of the organisation and participated in Q&A sessions and employability skills workshops.

During this session, Neave really demonstrated her progression on the programme, by volunteering early on to ask a question to the staff members about working at EY.

Neave was dedicated to the goals she set, pushing herself slightly outside her comfort zone to make new connections and relationships with people she hadn’t spoken to before at school. She similarly reflected that this confidence gave her the impetus and courage when she was away at Christmas to order her meal at a restaurant – something she said she wouldn’t have done previously!

Richard reflected on Neave’s progress at the end of the programme, saying that:

“The Neave I spoke to in the first and last sessions showed a marked difference, even in the way she was communicating and articulating herself. She was much more at ease and able to reflect on her achievements and next steps more independently.”

Neave’s self-reflection also demonstrated the progress she’d made throughout the

programme. Using her Talent Toolbox, Neave scored herself higher in confidence, self-awareness and communication skills.

Well done Neave!

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To find out more about our programmes, and how you can get involved, please visit our School Programmes page.