BSS Summer Academy

Stories

• Voices of Leadership at BSS

  The Voices of Leadership program was one of the best parts of my BSS experience. The main focus of the program was to provide insight into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and how leaders in our society (namely women) are working to reach these goals. We were given the opportunity to connect with alumni who are trying to make change through efforts and organizations to resolve poverty, world hunger, and lack of education. 

  We were encouraged to ask questions to find inspiration for how we, as future leaders, want to assist with achieving these goals. I think that this program kept me well informed on the problems in our world today, and I was given an opportunity to come up with my own solutions for these issues. It helped me build my confidence, problem-solving skills, and trained me to be a leader well. I think that my initial impression of being a leader was being someone that others look up to, but this program was able to show me that leadership is about the goals that you commit yourself to. 

  I would definitely recommend it to students who want to figure out how their skills can make change in the world-- or to anyone interested in learning how to be a leader.

• My Experience at Voices of Leadership

  I really enjoyed the Voices of Leadership program for a variety of reasons. Throughout the week, we learned about what it means to be an effective leader and how you can make changes in the world. We engaged in a variety of activities that encouraged us to think about issues, whether they be local or larger scale, and think about how we can embody our leadership traits to help make a difference. One aspect of the program that I really enjoyed was that throughout the week, we were encouraged to collaborate with our peers in the program. I think it was really special to be able to hear so many different perspectives, because one thing I learned about leadership is that being a strong leader means being open to hearing others’ voices to work together to make a difference. 

  Something special about this program is that we were lucky to be able to connect with alumni. This component was special because we met with multiple alumni who all work in different fields, and we were able to learn about how each of their work and experiences connect to leadership skills they have learned. Hearing from the alumni and participating in all the week’s activities left me feeling like I built my leadership tool kit very well. I was really able to work on my collaboration and communication skills, as the centre of this program was being able to use your voice and leadership skills to make positive changes. 

  To students thinking about taking this course this summer, I would tell them to definitely take it. The course was really fun and I did learn a lot. The activities were engaging, and the aspect of incorporating alumni was really interesting, as it allows you to learn from  former BSS students and hear their stories. This course left me with the message that we are all leaders, and I know that everybody can benefit from participating in this fun, informative program!