When Jude Adams became a TAC L2P Program volunteer mentor 12 years ago, she had no idea just how rewarding it would be.
Getting the 120 hours of driving experience needed to qualify for your P-plates in Victoria can be quite a challenge for any young person.
But if you don’t have access to a car, or an experienced driver able to supervise, it can be almost impossible.
By pairing up volunteer driver mentors with young people in need of support, the TAC L2P Program helps the next generation of drivers complete their learner log book.
Having taught her own daughters to drive, Jude Adams joined the program when it first started in Geelong.
As an occupational therapist, she said it was a good fit, enabling her to get involved while still working.
According to Jude, while becoming a volunteer mentor has helped her appreciate the satisfaction of shaping someone else’s experience of driving, contributing to a young person’s overall development has also been a rewarding by-product of the experience.
Jude Adams:
I really love getting to know the learners as they’re at a stage of life where they are figuring out who they are.
This aspect of the mentor-learner relationship is obvious between Jude and her current learner, 20-year-old Aye Point Thada Htay.
Like Jude, she loves cooking and sharing recipes, which has helped the pair forge a close bond.
As Aye Point was raised in Thailand, Jude has helped her bridge the language barrier by supporting her to read and understand signs, while also increasing the complexity of the driving experience over time.
Aye Point Thada Htay:
We are learning about each other, and I definitely feel that Jude has become a good friend.
The first time I was driving really slowly but Jude has since told me how happy she is that I have improved.
The City coordinates the TAC funded L2P Program, which is administered by the Department of Transport.
Please if you’re interested in volunteering with the L2P program.
