It’s Warrior Woman Wednesday and today we have the awesome job of highlighting the incredible work that our Wise Warriors are doing in the background to support our Young Warriors. Meet Dee Ballard, an inspirational teacher who spent 36 years in the field supporting young adults to believe in themselves and reach their potential. When we met Dee we instantly knew she would be perfect for the role of Wise Warrior Mentor and it has been so amazing to witness her relationship with her Young Warrior blossom. Read on about Dee’s journey as a mentor so far.
Why did you apply to be a mentor for the Warrior Woman Foundation?
I retired 5 years ago after being a TAFE teacher for 36 years. I absolutely loved my job working with (mostly) girls and women of all ages and from varied backgrounds.
I especially enjoyed working with young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds and found that I could bring out the best in them, should they wish. There is nothing better for a teacher to guide someone who thinks “they’re stupid or useless because they were hopeless at school” to achieve incredibly well and realise that they can do whatever they choose. Many of these young women were very clever and the growth in their self esteem and confidence was magic to witness. I missed helping young people (you can only make so many pairs of shoes, make cards, garden etc) and when I saw a Facebook ad for Young Warrior Woman I just knew that this was for me. I couldn’t wait to be back helping young people again.
What was it like to meet your mentee for the first time?
We clicked straight away. We were both nervous, but managed to chat for well over an hour about all sorts of things. I knew that I had absolutely done the right thing applying to be a mentor. It felt like I was meant to meet her. I realised that this was what I was missing in my retirement and I love chatting with her every week. We also email and text about all sorts of things – at the moment we’re encouraging each other to drink more water, after a nutrition session this week and sending photos of something interesting from our walks.
What goals are you working on with your mentor? e.g. study, confidence, etc.
She has many goals, so we’ve listed them all and we’re working on her top 3 at the moment:
1. Getting a job – she’s now got a great cover letter and resume and has had several interviews.
2. Obtaining her driver’s licence – she’s currently reviewing the handbook rules and will do the theory test before Christmas and the practical in the New Year.
3. Moving into her own place – a goal for the end of 2022 has been set and she’s so determined to save enough money that I’m sure she’ll be in her new home next year.
We’re also working on health and basically anything she would like to discuss.
Is there anything you have personally gained from the program so far?
Absolutely. I’ve learnt so much from the sessions run each fortnight, from listening to the other mentors and my mentee inspires me every time we chat. I feel that the skills I have acquired over many years are again being used for a worthy purpose. I look forward to finally meeting my mentee in person soon.
Why do you think supporting young women is so important?
They deserve it! Young women, given the right tools, can become independent and confident. So many young women I’ve met over the years have a very limited/stereotypical vision of their future. With programs like this we can help them plan and create a stable, happy and secure future for themselves.
Anything else you would like to share?
I love being a part of this program and know that one day its name will be a household name, like other worthy projects, eg Share the Dignity, Pink Ribbon etc. Our young women are the future teachers, politicians, leaders, mums, partners, business owners and my hope is that the Government supports the Foundation monetarily so that it can continue to grow and reach more young women who need support, short and long term.