Name: Nazir Corriette
School Serving: Lauriston Primary School, City Year UK
Hometown: Tottenham, North London
What made you decide to join City Year UK?
I joined City Year because after completing university, I found myself qualified in a field that was difficult to find gainful employment in and also one that I wasn't particularly passionate about anymore. I wanted to do something that would help me make a contribution to my community in a meaningful way, and volunteering in a primary school seemed like the perfect way to do that. Moreover, recent family circumstances made me significantly more sympathetic to children in need and I wanted to do my part to help them.
Why are you committed to serving with City Year?
I have found the experience very challenging, yet very rewarding. I think that helping children to develop their potential in school is very fulfilling. I feel I have learned a tremendous amount about myself and about people in general during my time with City Year UK. Observing the children's social hierarchies and behavior has been fascinating and I believe that a lot of what I have learned from them applies to adult life as well. The children speak very fondly about previous City Year volunteer mentors, so I know that we can make a lasting impact.
How do you know you are making a difference?
I know I'm making a difference because of the responses I get from pupils. I have been given the responsibility of monitoring basketball at my school during break and lunchtimes and I regularly play with the pupils. A few of them have told me that they have joined basketball clubs outside of school because of the time they've spent playing with me and they always ask me to give them pointers. I have also been told that they are glad that I am there. It is very humbling that they appreciate my presence in their school.
What does it mean to you to have Bain Capital as a Team Supporter?
Bain Capital has been a brilliant supporter of my team. They hosted a mock interview day in March and that provided an amazing chance to really get a feel for what it takes to succeed in a real high-pressure interview. Their feedback was very open and honest. My mentor, Hui, has been instrumental in helping me to develop over the last year. Her zest for life and positivity is infectious – she is knowledgeable and is always on hand to support me when I need her, despite her busy schedule. I thank her and Bain Capital for the development opportunities they have offered me.
Please share a starfish story
I was tasked with helping a Year 6 pupil with her times tables whenever her regular tutor was absent. It quickly became apparent to me that she was very behind her peers in terms of academic knowledge. She even professed to me "I can't learn this, I'm not clever." When we first began, she struggled with basic addition and subtraction. She had a slight grasp of the 2x tables, but I struggled to find a way to help her to expand her knowledge. Eventually, I taught her that the principles that govern the 2x tables can be applied to the 20x tables as well. For example, if 2 x 2 = 4 then 2 x 20 = 40. She soon started to realize that this applied to different numbers and by our second session she was doing the 2,000,000 x tables. While it may seem unnecessary to learn, she was so excited by her newfound understanding of numbers that she told me "I'm clever, I thought I was dumb but I'm not." She even went on to brag to her peers about what she could do. She has been improving immensely over the course of the school year, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to work with her.
