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Hello! My name is Faith Lee and I am a Grade 9 student at Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School. Yesterday, I had the pleasure to attend the Illuminate x North York Regional Conference. Here is my blog which strives to highlight what I learned about the meaning and importance of developing lifelong learning skills and how to proactively plan ahead to find a career that is right for me.
"A good leader leads the people from above them. A great leader leads the people from within them." --M.D. Arnold
Keynote Presentation by Dan Kiernan
Thanks to his helpful insight, I learned many important things about careers, how to prepare yourself for them, and how to properly and effectively introduce yourself. The key takeaway I got from the presentation was that you do not have to know your passions or even follow them. It’s contrary to the traditional teachings telling students to “follow your dreams” or “make sure you are passionate about what you’re doing for life”. I also found it very comforting that he shared that changing passions were a regular thing that most people experienced. It really resonated with me as someone who is still discovering who I am and what I like. I liked how realistic he was and how applicable his teachings were to today’s new world and generation.
Workshop #1: Personal Development and Career Development/Elevator Pitch
Following Kiernan’s framework to an elevator pitch, I was able to learn what it was for the first time and have hands on experience making one. My key takeaway was how to tell others about myself without rambling on about unnecessary details while also sounding professional and prepared.
CASE STUDY:
To be completely honest, as this was the first case study I have ever done, this had to be one of the most stressful and nerve racking, but rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. During the 60 minutes, I was filled with panic and anxiety as I tried my hardest to be a good teammate, take initiative and share ideas. However, only once I had finished and presented, I realized how important time management, teamwork, and organization is (also how short an hour really is and to appreciate each second haha). Through the content of the actual case study, I was also able to learn how much more our school curriculums can grow, how to compare solutions, and find the best calls of action. Overall, I really enjoyed the event and had tons of fun learning and growing with my teammates.
Meet the crew!
Keynote Presentation by Swish Goswami
Swish Goswami gave inspirational life lessons in his journey of becoming an entrepreneur and CEO of Trufan. Through this, I was able to take away that although work and grades are very important, so is forming connections, talking to others, and building experience. From this learning, I feel much more assured that I am on the right track of developing vital long life learner skills and becoming the best student I can be.
I consider myself an entrepreneur in the ways that once I set my goal, I do my best to achieve it. If I were to create a business, I would first look for problems that need to be solved and provide a good service to address those needs. To promote this business, I could allocate the $5 to creating advertisements and putting it out to the public. With the entrepreneurial mindset, I can stay motivated to hit my targets while also taking calculated risks and helping others with my success.
After attending Illuminate x North York, I am very excited to put myself to the test and apply my newly found knowledge. If I had to give one piece of advice, it would be that to truly be the best you can be, it is crucial to form good relationships and connections with others. Being able to bring out the best in yourself is already amazing in itself, but being able to bring out the best in others and forming a strong team is a trait of a true leader leader.