For 16-year-old student Aiesha Accouche the early years at secondary school were a struggle. But then along came Karol…

I first became friends with Karol when we were in Year 8, and I was in a dark place and suffering from a lot of anxiety. When you are that Sort of age, 12 and 13, life is all about working out who you really are. I was finding it really tough. I got on with people, but I was struggling with my own identity. And I think what helps a lot in that situation is meeting someone who’s really sure of who they are, because they give you hope, they inspire you. And then along came Karol, who has always known who she is, and who she wants to be. She’s always happy, always smiling, the sort of person who pulls you along with her: she’s a real life force.

She’s encouraged me so much as a person, and my life is quite different now. I go through life smiling, as Karol does: we have lots of days out together, just random days doing fun things, and we’re now at college together, studying for A-Levels. Sometimes all you need in life is for the right person to come along at the right time and help you see that it’s worth living for, that when you change your attitude and find the fun in life, everything else follows.

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from Education | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2FmXZXF