Meet Ameena
I always want to better myself, it’s a big problem for teens nowadays where we think we’re not good enough.
Ameena is 18 and a high achiever who put a lot of pressure on herself to achieve top grades. She speaks about the Skills for Life Award being an important wake-up call where she realised that grades and study aren’t everything.
“I always want to better myself, it’s a big problem for teens nowadays where we think we’re not good enough. Some girls end up chucking themselves into style and make-up and things like that which I did for a while, but I really wanted to chuck myself into studying because it’s almost like you can forget all your insecurities - with make-up you’re facing it head-on. With my studying I just kinda blocked out all the thoughts and just kept on reading. I thought, if I get all As then I’m fab and I’m good enough but that’s not how it works.”
On the Award, she learned how important it was to regularly take a step back and create distance between work and how having hobbies actually makes you an interesting person.
“I’ve taken the time to realise that you can be a straight-A student but you can still be a crappy person, and you can get F's in everything and you can be the most amazing person ever.”