Recent Forth Valley College graduate Claire Cowan, has credited the innovative Time4Me initiative with helping her succeed in her studies.
Claire (19) a young carer from Falkirk, graduated with a HND Software Development with Cyber Security - and has now moved on to third year at the University of Stirling to complete her degree - and was happy to thank her FVC staff mentor Pauline Jackson for her support during her time at College.
The College’s ‘Time4Me’ programme has trained staff from across academic and corporate teams to become volunteer mentors. This reflects the College’s commitment to supporting young people facing challenging circumstances and helping them to make a successful transition from school into college life. Mentoring is aimed at 15-25 year olds who may be care experienced, young carers or encountering difficulties in making the change from school to College.
Time4Me Mentors work with mentees to develop goal setting, problem solving and communication skills, gain confidence and build resilience, helping them adjust to College life and progress with their studies, career and life goals.
Claire, who picked up her scroll at the College’s graduation ceremony on Friday October 6, 2023, said: “Time4Me was invaluable for me. My mentor helped me with the transition from high school to college and to make connections within the college and industry. This service was instrumental in improving my confidence, self-esteem and social skills.”
Pauline Jackson, FVC’s Development and Fundraising Manager, said: “It was an emotional experience to see Claire graduate from FVC and celebrate her achievements. Mentoring is just one part of the support picture, but hopefully it has played a part in helping Claire progress. As a young carer, Claire has a lot of demands on her time, however her successful transition from school to college and now university reflects her determination to achieve her goals. It was a pleasure to get to know her and be her mentor during her first year at FVC.”
Sarah Tervit, FVC’s Head of Inclusion and Student Services, said: “It was a privilege to observe Claire’s personal growth throughout her journey with Time4Me in that first year with us. She then took those skills into her second year to achieve her HND, once her mentoring journey had ended.
“It was equally rewarding to see Pauline, now in her fourth year as a Time4Me Mentor, demonstrating her excellent mentoring skills and knowledge, which enabled this partnership to achieve its goals. I wish Claire the very best as she continues her studies and have no doubt she will continue to excel.”
DonnaMarie Steel, Programmes and Practice Officer at The Robertson Trust, said: “We are delighted to hear of the progress of the Time4Me project, and the positive impact it’s having on students and staff at Forth Valley College. Claire's story highlights how life-enhancing dedicated mentoring support like Time4Me can be, and in particular the positive effects this can have on personal and educational outcomes. We would like to pass on our congratulations to Claire on her recent graduation, and we wish her all the best for her future studies at University."
Claire went on: “The enhanced 2+2 partnership course with Stirling University was very appealing to me. I didn’t feel ready to go straight into university from high school and studying the first two years at FVC, allowed me to have that next step of support with higher education that I needed, and enabled me to get a HND Software Development qualification which I would not have got if I went straight to university.
“My lecturers were very friendly, funny and knowledgeable with years of industry experience. They gave up lunches and stayed overtime when they could, to clarify anything I was unsure of or needed more help with. Being a young carer, I had a lot of challenges, some of which were unpredictable. However, my lecturers were always understanding and supportive.
“College introduced me to being more of an independent learner, but it was reassuring to know I had support when I needed it. Having lecturers who actively work in industry has been of massive benefit, especially now I’m in university. The depth of knowledge they shared has given me a good foundation that has helped me to feel more confident in my university studies.
“My studies at FVC allowed make a seamless transition into my university studies. Having a module within the university during the second year of college helped with that transition. It was a good steppingstone as I didn’t feel ready for university.
“Even though the course I did was a partnership course with University of Stirling, I was able to gain an HND in Software Development that would help me to pursue employment within the industry if I had decided university was not for me. The college has good industry links, for example, with Oracle Academy which allowed me to gain three additional programming qualifications.
“I can’t say enough how much having such knowledgeable and approachable lecturers really made it for me. They always encouraged us to ask the ‘stupid questions’ and their support was second to none.
“I would recommend the course and the College as it’s a good stepping stone to university and the workforce. It’s a great confidence builder as classes are smaller and therefore not as overwhelming and intimidating as university can feel. The transition to university was easier as I already made friends at college that I have gone on to university with.
“However, if I decided further education wasn’t for me, College gave me a good foundation to get a job within industry. I would have been unprepared for the jump from high school to university without the support I got from the College. Furthermore, if I went straight to university from high school I would not have gained any industry qualifications until I completed my degree.
“What I loved most at College was my lecturers, my mentor and meeting people with the same interests as me. The culture at the college is motivating, positive, hard-working within a relaxed and supportive environment”.