Since the start of the academic year, Axel Mannu, a first-year student in the PGE program, has been involved in the OPTIM academic support program in Cluny.
Reducing educational inequality
Encouraging, supporting, and helping students who are struggling is a key motivation for Axel, who volunteered to mentor 8th and 9th graders at Saint-Exupéry Middle School in Mâcon as part of Cluny’s OPTIM Success Network. Axel hopes to “help reduce educational inequalities and enable students to gain a new perspective on their studies in order to stimulate their ambitions and unlock their untapped potential.” Instilling a desire to improve and to understand concepts that may seem obscure at first glance is also one of his priorities.
Fostering students' ambition
Axel helps students overcome their difficulties not by solving the problems for them, but by guiding them to think critically and find solutions on their own. He supports them so they can understand their mistakes and correct them. This process “helps them become independent in their work and learning, which is essential to personal development,” Axel explains. Furthermore, this work done by the students themselves gives them the opportunity to build confidence, overcome their mistakes, and broaden their career aspirations.
Developing patience and teaching skills
Since the mentor is also a student, this creates a sense of closeness that fosters learning, and the students can clearly envision a possible future path for themselves. “The OPTIM program highlights the students’ needs and expectations and gives me the opportunity to develop my patience, teaching skills, and adaptability,” Axel notes. This enriching experience allows him to grow personally and strengthen his skills as a future manager.
