Education is in dire need of a serious makeover. We’re still stuck in the Dark Ages, teaching our kids for a world that’s changed faster than a smartphone update. It’s like trying to fit an elephant into a pair of skinny jeans—just doesn’t work, does it?

We need to break free from this customary, work-shy approach to education. Kids aren’t assembly line products; they’re unique individuals with their own quirks and strengths. It’s time to ditch the one-size-fits-all mentality and embrace the beauty of tailoring education to each child’s needs. Custom-made education, if you will, through mentoring.

This isn’t about me, but let me share a little glimpse into my journey, anyway. Picture this: a young girl with an IQ of 142, sporting ADHD and autism, and not a soul had a clue. I spent most of my life feeling like a detective, trying to crack the code of my own existence. Exhausting? Of course. But hey, I finally cracked it.

Growing up was a battle: expectations weighing me down, momentum hard to come by.  I was a walking contradiction, a bright mind struggling to fit into the rigid school system, struggling with math, and simply being alive. Nobody seemed to have a clue about that either.

Imagine a life where you believe you’re undeserving of asking questions, of needs and wants, of plans and love. Nobody knew what I was capable of, what I excelled at, or what sparked my interest. I was trapped, with no clue that I could be more than just a problem child, and no ladder to climb on. An inmate in my own life.

In the depths of all that, I turned to writing. It became my sanctuary—a way to understand and express myself. By pure luck (drum rolls), some of my words landed in the hands of a literary critic who compared them to Rilke’s. I didn’t even know who Rilke was at the time, but that moment was validation, a glimmer of hope that maybe I had something worthwhile within me.

I fell head over heels for Rilke’s writing, but my life? Still a mess. My failings were persistent, my focus inexistant, and I worked like a dog for mediocre results. Taking care of myself? Ha! I felt like a kid playacting at being a grown-up. I still do.

Then, one October in 2014, I picked up a paintbrush and found a canvas waiting for me. Back then, it didn’t mean much—just a way to express my muddled existence, to find some meaning. Turns out I was good at it.

Art became my lifeline, my everything. And now here I stand today, living as an artist, living the only life that truly fits me. But it took me many agonising years to unearth who I am.

I tell you this not because it’s a sob story, but because I’m not alone. Countless children are still trapped in a system that fails to see their shortcomings and brilliance. We must show them that there’s a whole world out there, waiting for their unique gifts to shine. And with the right guidance, I promise you, they can achieve greatness in whatever their hearts desire.

My journey should serve as a ‘how-not-to’ for our education system. No neurodivergent child should go unnoticed. No gifted or challenged child should feel like they’re being squeezed into an ill-fitting box. And above all, no child’s spark should ever be extinguished.