Back at Merton, not as a student but at the front of the room
The second full day of the pilot year brought mentors back to Harris Academy Merton; the Head of Careers said what many were thinking.
On 12 June 2026, Empowered Voices went to Harris Academy Merton for the second full-day event of the pilot year. The format was February’s: keynotes, a mentor panel, then mentor-led workshops grouped by field, free to the school, lunch provided.
Among the workshops was a Creative STEM session led by a graduate fire engineer who is himself a Merton alumnus. “If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be back at Harris Academy Merton, not as a student but helping to deliver a Creative STEM Workshop,” he said, “I honestly wouldn’t have believed you.”
That is the point of the model: the person at the front of the room is a few years ahead, not a lifetime. One mentor called the workshops “the highlight of the day”, adding: “We were able to open their minds to new possibilities and remind them that their unique gifts and talents have real value.”
Mentors again passed their travel allowance on to students as cash prizes for engagement. Afterwards, every workshop student was introduced by email to their workshop lead, so the conversation could carry on.
“It’s about time someone did something like this.”
One student messaged us afterwards: “It really motivated me and showed me that there can still be a way to get up high in life if you stay focused and keep grinding.”
The Head of Careers was more succinct. “It’s about time someone did something like this.”