Impact
Women in Leadership Initiative
“I have learned quite a lot from Georgette and other presenters, as well as the mentees. As a recent grad who was highly engaged on campus, I can confidently say that this is one of the most empowering spaces I have witnessed at UTSC, I hope our cohort of WiLi mentees will have more chances to come together after the final session.”
“Prior to the program, I had several leadership experiences both on and off campus and my perspective on leadership ability has been that you either have it or you don’t. However, having gone through this program, I realized that leaders are made. Through this program, I was able to reflect and fine tune my skills, work on my weaknesses and ultimately, be more intentional with my leadership ability.”
“One of biggest lessons I learned through WiLi is the importance of identifying and using teachable moments. As a young female leader from a marginalized visible minority community, I have been in organizational spaces that are very challenging to navigate. When dismissed due to one or all of my intersectional identities, I found myself either staying away from the space(s) or speaking up assertively. Now, I understand that when questioned about credentials or ability, it is best to use it as an opportunity to showcase my expertise as opposed to being defensive, particularly when defensive behaviour causes the people on the opposite side to further embrace their ignorance. I understand the importance of not getting discouraged by negative forces, being confident in what I have to offer and staying focused.”
