100% of the alumni contacted agreed that they would consider mentoring the new generation of Somali young people.
Summary:
I decided to become an adult nurse because I enjoy helping others. Aqoon has definitely helped me in my career today, because they showed me that I could be anything I wanted to be. I have lots of memories from Aqoon but my favourite ones were going on trips, sometimes we would go to Victoria park and do activities. Aqoon is needed for the new Somali generation because I think they’re really in need of help, and they would have a community to turn to when they are in need. And yes, I would definitely consider mentoring.
– Deqa, Nurse
Working as a mechanical engineer is great because I really enjoy the field work, I’m in a different city every day. Aqoon built me up as a boy and it showed me that I can achieve. Would I consider mentoring a young person? Yes. I think I would tell them to go into volunteering before you apply for a role in mechanical engineering. I wish someone had told me to get experience as it’s hard to get a job straight away sometimes. I also think the new generation of Somali’s need more male role models – Mohamed, Engineer
I’m currently working as an adult nurse and I chose this path because I enjoy helping others.
Not being born in this country and achieving the grades that I achieved, I believe, is down to Aqoon. And yes, I would consider mentoring.
– Idil, Nurse
I chose to work as a nurse because It’s a different day everyday from treating adults and children to people with mental health issues. What I remember the most from going to homework club was going on trips and making new friends.
I would become a mentor; I believe we need more of us to become role models for the young girls and boys who are becoming young adults.
-Ayaan, Nurse
I work as a radiographer because I love meeting patients and helping them through their injuries and hearing their stories. What I remember from homework club was going on trips, like going to the National Space Centre and making new friends. One of the things Aqoon has done I think, is help our parents with our educational needs. Yes, I would consider mentoring.
– Shukri, Radiographer
I’m a journalist/researcher working in factual filmmaking. I’ve always wanted to work in the TV industry because I always felt like I was a natural creative. Aqoon was one of my earliest memories in the UK, when I first moved here, I didn’t speak much English, so going to homework club was a chance for me to learn in an environment that was both fun and supportive. You didn’t feel the pressure to pass or fail it was about expanding your knowledge and doing the best that you could do. Aqoon has supported our parents with understanding how the academic system worked so they could help us at home. That’s additional help that other children who may have been born here or were second/third generation immigrants already had the privilege of. I would love to mentor, as Somali’s we are already underrepresented in the media so having more creative young Black people in the industry would be amazing.
– Ramla, Journalist/filmmaker
