Finding My Voice

A Story of Confidence, Connection and Being Heard

Sometimes success begins with something as simple as feeling confident enough to ask a question.

This learner came to EMBS as someone who was very quiet and found it difficult to speak up or ask for help. Through relationships, activities and a supportive learning environment, that gradually began to change.

“I developed as a person. My character became stronger.”

My Story

Before coming to EMBS, I was a really quiet person. I mostly kept myself to myself.

At school, the teachers were generally nice and helpful, but I didn't always feel comfortable asking for help. One of the hardest things was putting my hand up when I didn't understand something. I worried that everyone else might know the answer and people would think, “He's the dumb one.”

Sometimes I would wait until everyone had left before going to the teacher.

I also found it difficult to concentrate when classrooms were noisy. If the teacher was explaining something and there was loads going on around me, I couldn't always take it in.

When I finished school, things didn't work out exactly as I had planned. I had thought about doing A levels, but I didn't get the results I wanted. I went to another college but struggled to find the right course for me.

Then a friend told me about EMBS.

I was nervous when I first came. Talking to people wasn't really my thing. But slowly things started to change.

The relationships with teachers felt different. Teachers weren't just people who stood at the front and taught. You would see them, smile, say hello and have a conversation. They would ask how you were doing.

There were also opportunities to do things together outside lessons. We went into town, did activities and played football. Those things might not sound important, but they helped me talk to people. You start with one conversation and then another, and gradually your confidence grows.

The students were welcoming too. People from different countries and backgrounds mixed together. Some spoke English fluently and others didn't, but people found ways of communicating and having a laugh together.

Eventually I started changing in lessons as well.

I became more confident answering questions, expressing my opinions and asking for help. I didn't have to sit there wondering whether I should approach the teacher.

One of the biggest changes was being able to speak in front of other people. At one point I was asked to talk to a group about why I thought the college was good. The old me would have wondered how I could possibly stand up in front of everyone.

But I did it.

When I think about my time here, qualifications matter, but something else happened too.

I developed as a person. My character became stronger.

I arrived as someone who was very quiet.

I'm leaving as someone who feels much more confident being heard.