The TuksRes Women in Leadership Academy has taught me a lot of life skills which I will fortunately be able to use for far more than an ephemeral phase. Also, the academy has contributed greatly to my mental and emotional growth.
An outstanding session which was conducted, was about being a role model and having one. From this session alone, I learnt that I do not necessarily have to be a world-renowned figure in order to be a role model to someone else, instead I have to strive to be an exemplary figure who is selfless and exudes positive energy wherever she goes. With that lesson kept in mind, I have been continually practicing it and doing so has been greatly beneficial for me. I took it upon myself to help other students with modules I comprehend very well. I did not offer these students help because I was on a quest to display intelligence, instead I did it out of genuine compassion and the realization that by helping others with academics, I am actually contributing to the enhancement of the future of our country. The experience of helping others made me feel like a role model/mentor, even though individuals did not testify it to me.
Through helping others, I had a mutually beneficial experience in the sense that, the people I helped, witnessed an improvement in their grades by the end of the first semester and I performed way better than the goals I had set for myself at the inception of the year.
All I have stated so far may come across as futile, however, the moral promulgated from my experience is that; if it was not for the TRWLA academy, I most probably would have been focused on things that have nothing to do with my future or goals of growth, such as being famous on social networks and getting followed by people who do not have an idea of who I am on a personal level, I would basically be living a falsified life.
I am a naturally socially inclined individual, however, through the academy, I have met so many young women who are aspiring future leaders from different backgrounds. Having been granted the opportunity to interact with some of them through open discussions during the sessions, has enormously contributed to my emotional intelligence and it has also moulded me into an individual who is liberal in her views. I have grown to learn how to respect others’ opinions and not to immediately pulverize people’s views because I do not necessarily agree with them, it has been a great learning experience indeed.
Growing up, I have been exposed to environments which overtly and perpetually embraced men as exceptional leaders, on the other hand, people were oblivious to the potential women possess to become great leaders. The fact that TuksRes Women in Leadership Academy exists, to me is a clear sign of the strong belief in women and how they are destined for greater things.
My motive behind joining the academy was to learn ineluctable techniques of leadership and how to stand for something rigid as a young woman, I am proud to admit that the academy has exceeded my expectations of it.
I have also had the opportunity to participate in a community service project at the Pretoria Technical High School. A group of the young women from the academy and I were set to teach the girls at the school about self-esteem, puberty, menstruation, personal hygiene and general life phases. The engagement with the girls was very fun and free-flowing, I felt very good each time any of the girls directed a question to me about something they were uncertain of and I could answer succinctly. I could already imagine myself as a teacher and from interacting with the girls, I got to learn teaching skills which I will be able to use as I am a future high school teacher.
I am extremely grateful for all my experiences during my time at the academy, the experiences were all portals of learning and growing for me.
11 May 2016
Lesego Phiri- 2016 TRWLA Graduate
An outstanding session which was conducted, was about being a role model and having one. From this session alone, I learnt that I do not necessarily have to be a world-renowned figure in order to be a role model to someone else, instead I have to strive to be an exemplary figure who is selfless and exudes positive energy wherever she goes. With that lesson kept in mind, I have been continually practicing it and doing so has been greatly beneficial for me. I took it upon myself to help other students with modules I comprehend very well. I did not offer these students help because I was on a quest to display intelligence, instead I did it out of genuine compassion and the realization that by helping others with academics, I am actually contributing to the enhancement of the future of our country. The experience of helping others made me feel like a role model/mentor, even though individuals did not testify it to me.
Through helping others, I had a mutually beneficial experience in the sense that, the people I helped, witnessed an improvement in their grades by the end of the first semester and I performed way better than the goals I had set for myself at the inception of the year.
All I have stated so far may come across as futile, however, the moral promulgated from my experience is that; if it was not for the TRWLA academy, I most probably would have been focused on things that have nothing to do with my future or goals of growth, such as being famous on social networks and getting followed by people who do not have an idea of who I am on a personal level, I would basically be living a falsified life.
I am a naturally socially inclined individual, however, through the academy, I have met so many young women who are aspiring future leaders from different backgrounds. Having been granted the opportunity to interact with some of them through open discussions during the sessions, has enormously contributed to my emotional intelligence and it has also moulded me into an individual who is liberal in her views. I have grown to learn how to respect others’ opinions and not to immediately pulverize people’s views because I do not necessarily agree with them, it has been a great learning experience indeed.
Growing up, I have been exposed to environments which overtly and perpetually embraced men as exceptional leaders, on the other hand, people were oblivious to the potential women possess to become great leaders. The fact that TuksRes Women in Leadership Academy exists, to me is a clear sign of the strong belief in women and how they are destined for greater things.
My motive behind joining the academy was to learn ineluctable techniques of leadership and how to stand for something rigid as a young woman, I am proud to admit that the academy has exceeded my expectations of it.
I have also had the opportunity to participate in a community service project at the Pretoria Technical High School. A group of the young women from the academy and I were set to teach the girls at the school about self-esteem, puberty, menstruation, personal hygiene and general life phases. The engagement with the girls was very fun and free-flowing, I felt very good each time any of the girls directed a question to me about something they were uncertain of and I could answer succinctly. I could already imagine myself as a teacher and from interacting with the girls, I got to learn teaching skills which I will be able to use as I am a future high school teacher.
I am extremely grateful for all my experiences during my time at the academy, the experiences were all portals of learning and growing for me.
11 May 2016
Lesego Phiri- 2016 TRWLA Graduate
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