“Graham taught me how to parallel park and I did it in about 10 seconds.”
That was the moment Thalia knew she was ready for her drive test. A few days later, she passed on the first go—and life changed quickly.
Now in Year 12 and working casual shifts at Bunnings, Thalia drives herself to school and work. “It’s given me the freedom to go places without relying on anyone else,” she says. “I’m really grateful the L2P program exists.”
Learning with support, not pressure
Thalia completed around 90 of her supervised hours with Graham, an L2P volunteer mentor of almost eight years. The remaining night hours came via a family friend.
What stood out most? The way mentoring felt different from paid lessons.
“It was easy to talk to Graham. I didn’t feel pressured, like when you’re paying by the hour,” Thalia says. “I was lucky to be paired with him—he’s awesome.”
Graham says that’s by design.
“We’re mentors, not instructors. The program funds professional lessons for the finer points—do’s and don’ts—then mentors help young people build confidence and get their hours up,” he explains. “You really get to know someone over that time.”
Before getting started, mentors and learners do a compatibility meeting.
“If there’s not a good fit, either person can opt out—no hard feelings,” Graham said.
Flexible, practical—and genuinely rewarding
Graham has supported six or seven young people through the program, mostly in automatics but sometimes in manual for trade-bound learners. The time commitment is flexible—as little as an hour or two a week.
“Some mentors take out more than one learner—one mid-week, one on weekends,” he says. “It’s very rewarding to hear they’ve passed. It makes it all worthwhile.”
The program’s fleet also helps learners build real-world confidence.
“We’ve got a little Kia Rio, a Cerato, and a full-size sedan like a Camry,” Graham says. “It’s different parallel parking a big car—but you get used to the size of what you drive.”
Why volunteers matter
For Thalia, the gift is time.
“It’s amazing that people give up hours every week to help young people they don’t know,” she says. “I’m really grateful. We’re besties now.”
Graham agrees the impact goes beyond the licence.
“Mentoring breaks the pressure that can come with a parent in the passenger seat,” he says. “It’s calmer, and you see young people become independent.”
How L2P works
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Professional lessons included: The program funds a set number of lessons with a qualified instructor.
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Mentor support: Volunteers then help learners log supervised hours safely and steadily.
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Flexible time: Commit what you can—many mentors do 1–2 hours a week.
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Fit matters: A compatibility chat ensures a good match before you begin.
Thalia’s takeaways
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Passed on the first attempt
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Drives to school and work
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Feels confident behind the wheel
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Grateful for a mentor who made learning calm and supportive
Get involved
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Need help to get your hours up? Apply for L2P
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Interested in mentoring? Express your interest
Have a question about eligibility, time commitment or training? Contact the L2P team at l2p@brophy.org.au or call 0439 649 935.