“Until we met Futures I was sick with worry about my son going to college”

Manisha worked with Jayden to identify his ideal choices, offer advice and guidance on steps to follow to secure a place at college, understand what is important to Jayden, shared information on education options and jobs, arranged for Jayden and his mum to visit colleges and provided reassurance and the safe space to talk through thoughts, feelings and ask any questions.

In his final year of school, Jayden was left feeling ‘worried, anxious, nervous and doubting if he would get a place at the college he dreamt of.

Having a Futures Coach throughout transition isn’t just about adjusting to the college environment, it’s helping the young person to consider their future, career and what role their college choice plays in that.

Jayden fed back; “I got information on college courses and what to expect from them. I was sent some job profiles, it was nice to see jobs I would really like to do and reassuring to know there are jobs in games design and art. This made me happy and is something I am passionate about.”

As a parent, we understand that you don’t just worry about the bigger picture and your child’s future, but all the small steps along the way. Jaydens mum expressed concerns for her son adjusting to lunch time at college, making friends, transport, busy corridors and everything in between. She commented; “Manisha encouraged me to talk through my worries and broke down all the information in a way that made sense to both of us. Most importantly, I never felt like we were being told what to do. Manisha gave options to Jayden which helped him see he has choices as a young man.”

We were delighted Jayden went on to secure his place at Confetti College and he got in contact to let Manisha know that “all the hard work had paid off” and that he “would not have even tried applying if it wasn’t for the help from Futures.”

The transition to college is a huge milestone achievement for all young people and can be fundamental in their personal development into adulthood. Jaydens mum let us know recently how he is getting on;

“Jayden’s confidence has grown so much from Manisha encouraging him to try new things. I was really surprised recently when Jayden did a talk in front of his class which was a big thing for him. Jayden is also checking his emails regularly and making sure he replies and forwards the email to Manisha. This might not seem like much but it is a clear sign he is taking pride in controlling his life.”

Manisha is one of a number of specialist Coaches here at Futures who support young people through the most challenges stages of their education and career journey. Although core support ends when a young person achieves their goal, we look forward to following Jayden’s journey in the future.