Merveille, Insight2Uni Mentee

Merveille joined Insight2Uni as a mentee during sixth form, at a point when the path to university felt uncertain. Concerns about tuition fees, graduate employment and whether an apprenticeship might be a better fit were surrounding her. By the time the process was over, Merveille had not only strengthened her personal statement but developed a clearer sense of her own strengths and how to articulate them.

"Transformational and eye-opening. If I didn't have the support from Insight, I might not be in the position I am right now."

Merveille, Insight2Uni Mentee

Outcomes

Much of Merveille's work with her mentor centred on her personal statement. The practical support was valuable, but a turning point came earlier in the process. Merveille was asked to list everything she had done and found herself taken aback by the length of it. "Wow, I've actually done quite a bit," she recalled thinking.

Learning to recognise her achievements and communicate them clearly within a character limit became one of the most transferable things she took from the programme. The ability to structure ideas concisely and present herself well carried into university life, and later into interviews, where she consistently received feedback on how clearly she could articulate her answers.

Lasting Legacy

Merveille graduated having secured strong opportunities throughout her degree, which she attributes in part to the communication skills developed through the Insight2Uni programme. The experience also reinforced something she had long wanted to do: find a way to give back.

When a friend came to her with the idea for Youth Visionaries UK, an organisation focused on helping people access opportunities in the corporate world, she was immediately on board. She sees a clear line between her time at Insight2Uni and Youth Visionaries UK: "It's about not letting your lack of resources define you," she said. "Programmes like this push you towards opportunities you might not have known about before."