Jemima’s story – Growing confidence as a young leader

On my summer break from university, I got an assistant team leader role working for the National Citizen Service, to provide young people with new experiences and for them to gain confidence within themselves.

I was given so much support from the senior members of staff and partners. I didn’t realise I had the confidence until I had to put my teachings into practice and it felt like a huge success.

I now feel so much more confident in my day-to-day life. I communicate with others so much better and I’ve learnt so much about myself as an individual too.

As it was such an interactive experience where you were constantly communicating with the young people and staff in the briefings, I feel as though I know my community so much better and feel as though I belong in the community.

I supervised and helped the young people paint this ship in the play area at the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, as part of their social action project.

I have always been a introverted person and liked being in my own comforts and would never overly push myself outside of this.

Over the years, especially after Covid, I really missed having that social connection with people and was thankful for it more than ever.

I completed my first year of university all while living away from home for the first time ever (which was a really big change) and I embraced this as best I could.

Within my first year at university, I had travelled abroad as part of a research project (the findings of which we then presented to the council). I volunteered at the local tennis centre and helped deliver tennis lessons to Year 4 children who rarely get these opportunities. I also started my degree in film production technology, which I knew nothing about when I applied to study this subject.

If I hadn’t have had the year I did at university, of pushing myself out my comfort zone, I never would’ve applied to work with NCS over the summer and that sense of pride and belonging within my community would’ve never happened.