Hi everyone! My name is Eunice Song and I am a Grade 11 student at Cardinal Carter Academy For The Arts. Today, I had the pleasure to attend Illuminate x Markham’s virtual regional conference! Here is a brief overview highlighting what I learned and acquired at this conference.
Openness To Change In leadership
From this conference, I was able to grasp a deeper understanding of social entrepreneurship: openness to change in leadership. Despite the current ongoing pandemic, this conference made me realize how much I have changed this past year. Especially Christal Wang's keynote main message: "Take advantage of the time you have left in high school by putting yourself out there. It's okay if you don't succeed now, as these are all building blocks to your experiences leading up to your future."
The Importance Of Standing Out
From Mash Chowdhury's keynote, I was able to gain more knowledge on how to set myself apart from the competition. While listening to his underlining advice: "You need to continually motivate yourself to be put in uncomfortable and challenging situations" I reflected back to many moments of my life. I realized that by not giving up on myself in those awkward situations in the past, I was able to grow from my failures and become who I am today.
Case Competition Experience
By attending Illuminate x Markham's virtual conference, I was able to participate in my first case study with my friends. The two case studies that my group and I prepared for taught me a lot about how social enterprises and startups work in the pandemic. While preparing for my first case study, I discovered how my work ethic is when it comes to working with a team vs. myself. Now I know what I need to work on for future projects and competitions.
From this experience, I am encouraged to search for more opportunities that will benefit my future. I hope to attend more conferences and to continually grow my network virtually and in person!
Thank you Iluminate x Markham Team for the unforgettable experience!
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