Emilie's story

Emilie is one of many students whose life has been changed by our programmes.

"Emilie has come on leaps and bounds since starting the programme. She is more confident as an individual and intrinsically motivated to do well not just in her studies but in life. As a result, her academic grades in school have improved.

In her most recent school report, a number of her class teachers commented on how Emilie is now a confident and vocal member of the class with an excellent attitude towards her learning." – Mr Ian Thompson, Emilie’s Head of Year.

Emilie attends Knights Academy, in Lewisham. She was put forward by the school because she was struggling to see beyond her recently-diagnosed Asperger's, had little self-belief and felt unable to tackle difficult challenges.

As the programme progressed, Emilie's confidence grew and her motivation improved.

Despite being the only SEN student in her cohort, she was seen regularly pushing herself out of her comfort zone, being a TV 'director' on her World of Work day and meeting new students on the Into the Wild residential.

Check out the videos on the links above!

During our Play your Part day, Emilie and her classmates were introduced to our partner 02 Think Big, which supports young people to make a difference in their community.

With encouragement from her Coach, Emilie decided to apply for funding to run a project raising the profile of Asperger’s Syndrome.

She successfully secured £300 and has since planned, organised and hosted her very own Autism Awareness evening, attended by a range of individuals in the local community.

“[Rising Futures] has boosted her confidence vastly and she is feeling proud to be gifted and special, and is grasping a better understanding of her Aspergers and Dyslexia and how she can succeed with all of your help.” – Emilie’s Mum

Emilie is a shining testament of how the Yes Futures programmes can have a phenomenal impact on a young person's life.

To find out more, and how you can get involved, please visit our What We Do page.

"The programme was just perfect for me" – Emilie