Giving back.
18-year-old KPMG apprentice Aysha Patel has come full circle by applying to become a mentor on the Student to Stemette programme (STS).
Her passion for STEM was ignited after joining a STEM club at secondary school. Soon enough, Aysha went on to join Stemettes. Over the past few years she has attended Stemettes events with Deutsche Bank, Monster Confidence and KPMG.
Whilst studying for her A Levels, Aysha took part in the STS mentoring programme and was matched with “a wonderful inspiring lady from BAE systems”. She describes the experience as “life changing for me.”
“My mentor gave me confidence, teaching me to achieve both short and long term goals; resilience, belief and passion. It was really nice to be mentored by someone who had gone through the whole university experience/career change and the stress of exams. I truly did learn so much from her.”
Aysha is now proud to work as an Audit Apprentice at KPMG in Canary Wharf. She credits Stemettes for helping her network with professionals and meet like-minded people at a time when she needed it most.
“Through Stemettes, I gained so much confidence when choosing a career and also with networking and operating outside of my comfort zone. Since the day I joined, I have been to countless Stemette events which have been so useful and beneficial in helping me to excel in terms of my confidence and helping me achieve my dreams!”
Now, she’s ready to be a mentor herself on the Student to Stemette programme.
“I think it’s my time to provide support to someone else, especially amidst this pandemic.”
When we asked her about the best piece of STEM advice she had been given she said:
“Just be you! Meet new people when you can…communication is key. You never know which special people you might meet that can help you in the future.”
