Pupils at St James' Primary School in Paisley have been encouraged to dream big after six guest speakers came into school to share their own stories.
The See It, Be It event was part of the school's Black History Month celebrations. It set out to show children from Primary 1 to Primary 7 that their ambitions should have no limits.
The visitors were University of the West of Scotland lecturer Olamide Olusegun, ethnic minority group leader Susan Stewart, radio presenter George Tah, trainee solicitor Debbie Alhassan, midwife Benedicte Ndongala and St Mirren Women footballer Praise Adebo. Each spoke about their career, the challenges they had faced and what they had achieved, then answered the pupils' questions.
George Tah, who presents on Jambo! Radio, said: “Through my work at Jambo! Radio, I’ve seen how important it is to share stories and learn about the different cultures and people in our communities. I hope the pupils take away that getting to know one another helps us understand and respect each other – and that society is better when we work together.”
Olamide Olusegun said he hoped the children “left the event feeling encouraged to dream big, believe in themselves and recognise that their aspirations are valid.”
The afternoon was organised by acting depute head teacher Layna McGhee. She said: “We wanted our children to see themselves reflected in people who have achieved success across a wide range of careers and to understand that their aspirations should never be limited by their background or the colour of their skin.”
“When children can see people who look like them achieving great things, it helps them believe that those opportunities are within their reach too. We are incredibly grateful to all our visitors for giving up their time to inspire our children. We hope they have left with the confidence to dream big, aim high and believe that anything is possible.”
Photo: St James' Primary School, Paisley.