The leadership of the University of Helsinki and students from Helsingin yhteislyseo secondary school gathered to celebrate the conclusion of their joint mentorship program. The event reflected on a journey that lasted over six months and explored the insights gained along the way.
During the more than six-month mentorship program, the leadership of the University of Helsinki had the opportunity to engage with the perspectives of 23 upper secondary school students on the world, as well as their thoughts and expectations for the future. The students, the university leadership, and the principal of Helsingin yhteislyseo, Jussi Sutinen, were all extremely pleased with the pilot and interested in considering the next steps.
The initiative has also attracted admiration both in Finland and internationally.
"What we have done has been truly inspiring and internationally unique. You're never too old to learn," said Rector Sari Lindblom.
Young people's courage grew and their future outlook became clearer
The upper secondary school students who served as mentors said at the closing event that their courage and self-confidence increased over the course of the shared journey. Many felt they had learned to view issues from multiple perspectives.
"Even though there is a significant age difference between us mentors and mentees, surprisingly we got along very well and shared the same sense of humor. At first, it sounded awful to be alone with a middle-aged woman I didn't know, but we ended up laughing the whole time," one student reflected.
"It was a great experience to come here straight from the classroom and realize that we were able to have discussions on equal footing. We were able to make our voices heard without having to go around in circles," another participant said.
Many also mentioned that their confidence regarding future choices had strengthened. At the same time, their understanding of university studies and the opportunities they offer became clearer.
"I've gained a lot of new information about what you can study at the University of Helsinki. At first, I thought university wasn't for me, but I've changed my mind," one student noted.
Leadership gained valuable insights from young people
In turn, the university leadership welcomed the opportunity to learn from the students. The young participants offered their own perspectives on the world and shared what kind of information they would need when considering their future choices.
According to leadership, employment emerged as an important topic in discussions. The students were particularly interested in what happens after earning a university degree and what kinds of career paths different fields of study can lead to. They also hoped for clearer information about the content of studies and what is concretely learned in different disciplines.
"At the moment, we do not answer young people's pressing questions clearly enough. We should communicate more clearly what can be studied here and how studies are structured, instead of talking too much about periods, credits, and other structural elements that only become familiar during studies," Lindblom said.
Finally, the leadership thanked the students for their courage in sharing their thoughts.
"It is important that positions and roles do not create a gap between people and age groups. It was wonderful to see how the boundaries faded and we were simply people who wanted to share ideas, listen, and understand one another."
