31 May 2024
Plumpton launched its expanded Corporate Mentoring Framework with 10 Year 11 students and their corporate mentors. The mentorship provides each student a mentor for up to 2 years supporting the students through their final years of high school. The 10 students applied for a corporate mentor in late 2023 and were successful in being selected to be a part of this initiative that commenced in 2016.
Our corporate mentors come from a range of industries and have volunteered to join the initiative. In the last 4 years we have piloted the structure continuously refining it with one of our mentors Mr Robert Tawaf – Head of Transactions & Residential Strategies at Axa. Rob has worked with 9 students over this period with these students significantly benefitting from the experience with the students moving on to study at university in a variety of fields. We would like to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to Rob who has provided these students opportunity to think differently about their futures, unlock an unknow world of possibility enabling them to maximise their potential at school and supporting them to successful futures beyond school.
We were able to welcome into the Plumpton community at the Mentor Introduction and Welcome meeting and thank them and their companies for giving of their time, passion, and expertise to support our students’ success in the coming years:
• Kathrine Sahagun – Fraud Product Owner – Commonwealth Bank
• Susana do Vale - Founder & Director – Shakeup Architecture
• Shoaib Bahkt - Project Engineer – John Holland
• Joyce Low – Chief Operating Officer – NSW Nurses & Midwives Association
• Hannah Duong – Quality Advisor M&M12 Integration Project – John Holland
• Barbara Allwright – Program and Marketing manager – United Way
We strive to demonstrate, through the Plumpton High School Corporate Mentoring Program and the Futures Centre, what the world beyond school looks like. Students are immersed in this world through mentorships and partnerships with industry and our students then learn and understand that they have necessary skills and capabilities to succeed in that world. It builds self-concept, courage and an understanding that they are just like their mentors.
It is important to show students that a postcode should not define them but rather they should be defined by the ABC of the Attendance, Behaviour and Character qualities they display.
A huge thank you to Gemma Avon our Student Advocate and Carolyn Langham who have worked with me tirelessly to bring this framework to life for these students and those who come after them.
Tim Lloyd, Principal