PUBLISHED JULY 2021

‘University wasn’t even in her vocabulary’

Mentoring a scholar is a rewarding journey. For Carol Fraser, one of the best parts has been seeing the growth in her mentee Maria Mahoni, who recently graduated from AUT University.

The pair met through the YWCA Future Leaders programme when Maria was 14 years old. Four years later when Maria was awarded her First Foundation scholarship, she asked Carol to come with her as a mentor.

“To have that structure and support from First Foundation, I’ve really seen the growth in Maria,” says Carol. “Once she was accepted into university, her confidence just grew,” she says.

“Now she’s graduated from university –I mean, university wasn’t even in her vocabulary when we first met.”

Find out more about Carol’s mentoring journey in this short video, including her advice to potential mentors who aren’t sure what they can offer.