Online connections between Net Buddies and Video Mentors are like every other relationship. Some work. Some don’t. And some hit it right out of the park! That has been the case for 19 year old Kefentse*, from Johannesburg’s Alexandra township.
After an unlucky succession of short-lived relationships, due to changing commitments for her mentors (because, well, life happens …), she only connected with her current mentor, Lashonda Maxfield, last April and thankfully they ‘clicked’ right away.
They found each other at a point in Kefentse’s Matric year (12th grade), when she was struggling to find motivation, was conflicted about the best route to take, and badly needed guidance.
After some frank and hard-hitting conversations in their weekly mentorship sessions, and plenty of sound advice from Lashonda, Kefentse decided to apply for training as a pilot at an aviation academy and received provisional acceptance with possible funding.
Sadly, she hit a bump in the road when a disappointing final math grade saw her application declined. With determination to fulfill her dream – and encouragement from her mentor, family and the Infinite Family team – she enrolled at a school to improve her marks in math and physics so she can reapply. (A sound strategy as many South African teens struggle to secure places in their preferred areas of study.)
Kefentse credits her persistence and resilience, and growth as a person, to the advice and guidance she has received from Lashonda throughout their short journey together and says: “One of the most important things I have learned from her is to never second guess myself and to recognize that, if I put in the work, I can achieve my dreams. I have also learned the importance of analysing situations carefully before making decisions.”
The two have continued their relationship despite the fact that Kefentse has finished high school (which is when formal mentoring with Infinite Family traditionally ends). With some wise counsel from Lashonda about not putting all her eggs in one basket, she has also decided to apply for tertiary medical and legal programs as she is determined to make her mother proud by being the second graduate in the family. (Her older brother is a Mechanical Engineer.)