Sometimes, one person can make a world of difference. For Sara, an alumna of School’s cool Amsterdam, her home mentor was exactly that person. As a young girl with big dreams but also challenges in her home situation, she received the support she needed at a crucial moment in her life. What started as help with her schoolwork grew into a special bond:

"I was 12 years old, lived in Amsterdam-East, and had just started secondary school when my school registered me with School’s cool. My home situation was challenging: there was poverty, I had two younger brothers, and my school had assessed me for HAVO, while I really wanted to go to VWO. Through School’s cool, I was assigned a home mentor, and that turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened to me.

My home mentor turned out to be my next-door neighbor. I knew her by sight, but nothing more. From the start, she felt like an aunt to me – someone who not only helped me with schoolwork but also became a role model and friend for me and my mother. She was a true 'free spirit': very loving, creative, and a little different – just like me. We had a lot in common, such as a difficult relationship with our fathers and the feeling that we weren't always understood by the world around us. That created a special bond.

Initially, she helped me with my homework. We met once every two weeks, but in practice, I saw her much more often. I was always welcome to come over, often ate with her, and she really delved deep with me, in multiple aspects of my life. She always listened to me, something my mother had less time for due to time constraints. That made a huge difference.

My goal was to get good grades and go to VWO. Together, we worked incredibly hard, and my grades were eventually good enough. Unfortunately, my school counselor decided that I couldn't go to VWO because of my home situation. That was a huge disappointment and had a big impact on me. My friends went to motivated classes, while I ended up in an environment where many students didn't want to be. I started rebelling and struggled with my place.

Still, my mentor continued to support me. She helped me realize that it wasn't my fault and that I did have the abilities to learn and progress. She inspired me in ways I will never forget. One specific moment still stands out to me: she took me out to dinner at a fancy restaurant with her husband. It was the first time I had ever eaten out, and the whole feeling of being together, of being seen, made a deep impression on me.

In the long run, her guidance changed my life. She is one of the role models I always mention when I look back at my development. Her loving, open attitude has inspired me to become a coach myself for girls who also need support. Sometimes, just listening is enough to make a difference.

Sadly, my mentor passed away when I was 18, but I will always remember her as the woman who broadened my world and made me believe in myself. Her impact lives on, not only in me but also in the way I now try to help others."

Would you like to know more about what a home mentor can mean? Visit School's cool Amsterdam and discover how you can make a difference in a young person's life.

For privacy reasons, the name in this story is fictitious. The image is not of the alumna herself.