“You just need to put yourself out there. Life is going to be scary. And new experiences can be tough, but you just have to throw yourself into it. The reality, that you soon realise is that things are up to you as yourself, so within Cambridge or where ever you live as a young person, just try new things. It might not work the first time, but you need to just keep trying. And then hopefully, that will just show you how you can start to build on yourself for the rest of your life.” – Naomi Forster
Naomi is a student mentor, a Kinnerz sports leader, a St John’s Ambulance sergeant, a hockey goalkeeper, first aid trainer, and an explorer who has volunteered in Kenya.
Naomi has learnt that in giving to her community, she is giving something back to herself. Whether Naomi is helping younger students with their work, leading football and multisport sessions after school, communicating with her hockey team or running first aid training, Naomi has the confidence to support anyone who is new or who needs help. There are so many different ways to help. And helping in the community is, for Naomi, not just about structured learning, but also about finding a way to relax and learn as you go. Naomi has found that it’s refreshing to approach learning like this, and it has helped Naomi grow as a person.
When you help in the community, you are building on yourself. Wherever you start from, if you throw yourself into experiences, you can learn a lot. Naomi recommends putting yourself out there and just starting volunteering. Volunteering in the community can help connect us all, make new friendships, and build new relationships within your life. Helping others, you start to feel more connected, together. Life is scary, and when you’re throwing yourself into new experiences, it can be embarrassing when you don’t know one thing or another, especially when others have more opportunities than you and receive more praise. But if you keep trying and put in the practice, and learn from others in your own community, you can show yourself that you can do it. Putting yourself in your community can connect to the whole world around you. By just starting wherever you are, finding those connections will lead you to further connections. Just start somewhere, you’ll find your way, and your path.
