Education
CULTIVATING PURPOSE
IN GIRLS THROUGH
MENTORSHIP
I
B Y B R I D GET T E OU IMET T E, A S S OCIAT E D I R ECTOR OF STR ATEGI C I NI TI ATI VES, ACADEMY OF OUR LADY OF PE A C E
n the last 10 years, I have
noticed a major shift in
the culture of secondary
education, as driven by the
college admissions process.
This shift is not unique to the
United States and can be felt
throughout the world in an increasingly
competitive global economy and
given the demands of ever-increasing
technological innovation.
Research suggests that the idea that
every choice may impact college
admissions and career trajectory is felt
as early as eighth grade. This sense
of pressure is evident in the day-to-
day life of a school and is experienced
by students, teachers, administrators
and parents alike. This phenomenon
is, arguably, even more uniquely
experienced by adolescent girls.
As we close January’s National
Mentorship Month, this conversation
is particularly relevant. Research tells
us that developing a sense of purpose
can help combat anxiety. One way that
we can help youth develop their sense
of purpose is through the promotion of
growth-fostering mentoring relationships.
The benefits of mentoring relationships
for adolescents are vast - providing the
acceptance, inspiration and support
needed to resist the pressure to be
successful per extrinsic measures and
to engage instead in a purpose that is
more personally meaningful.
62 GBSAN.COM | FEBRUARY 2020
The 2020 OLPWS Keynote
Speaker is Haben Girma, a
disability rights advocate and
the first deafblind graduate
of Harvard Law School.