When I entered the Laidlaw Program, I saw it as a way to stay in Ireland for a summer while researching with a favorite professor. However, after close to 18 months in the program, it has led to personal growth and learning well outside of the academic setting (though, of course, the research opportunity was very academically rewarding).
In this Scholarship Reflection Blog, I want to focus on and share some of the experiences I had through the Laidlaw Program to grow as a person and have experiences I otherwise would not have had.
Character - Accountability and Drive
After having gone through the Oxford Character Project, I became a lot more cognizant and self-aware of the way I work when pursuing goals. In learning and practicing how to critically self-examine how I operate, I was able to get to better know myself and the conditions that were best for me to succeed.
For me, these centered around the Oxford Character traits of Accountability and Drive. I found that for me, these two character traits reinforced and in many ways relied on one another. Once I start a project, I am usually able to persevere and power through to the end. But I can be a chronic procrastinator, and finding the right accountability mechanism is really important for me to be able to start and keep myself motivated.
For me, this mechanism was a combination of external accountability (deadlines imposed by outside entities), relying on check-ins with others to stay motivated, and making written plans/calendars to give myself a path to finishing what I set out to do. Much of these accountability infrastructures were provided by the Laidlaw Program, and I found that they made my work a lot easier to manage and stay on top of. I hope to apply this experience and new self-knowledge to other projects and goals in my life.
Leadership Capacity - People
Out of the 3Cs framework, I found the Capacity for Leadership with People to be the one that I felt the most growth in.
Immediately, joining the Trinity College Dublin Laidlaw Cohort gave me the opportunity to meet and befriend a variety of extremely driven, accomplished, and truly kind people. However, a major limiting factor for me early on was my introverted tendencies - I am often content to be a part of groups by observing rather than participating, at least until I feel very comfortable with them. While this wasn’t necessarily the case when I took an active leadership role, it more so affected my ability to meet new people and quickly build strong emotional connections.
The Laidlaw Program provided the perfect opportunity for me to build on this skill by providing a variety of settings, over an 18-month period, for me to practice this skill.
At our early LEAD Days, the cohort quickly coalesced through shared activities (planned and unplanned) like team-building games and public speaking challenges. In the moment, they often felt cheesy or childish, but they helped break down any unfamiliarity among us, and the competitive environment naturally led to good team building. Given the opportunity to discuss our strengths and weaknesses with each other, I found myself getting valuable advice from some and relating to points of growth with others. Here, I’d like to specifically shout out my fellow Scholar Evie Kramer; though she may not remember it, I have a vivid memory of talking to her about my lack of confidence in networking, and her giving me supportive advice and encouragement.
The second opportunity to develop these skills came roughly 5 months later from the Laidlaw Conference I attended at Brown University. Over the course of a weekend, I probably met over 200 people and learned about their Laidlaw Projects, plans for LiAs, and overall goals. Even at this point, I could tell that I had an easier time talking to people and was more comfortable striking up conversation than I had been.
My Leadership in Action Project in some ways felt like the culmination of what I’d learned. Working out of Gujarat, India, where I had language proficiency but was not fully fluent, I truly had to rely on the skills I’d developed of being able to talk to and relate to people across cultures. There were many times that I found myself pushing for an idea I had or asserting myself in difficult situations (such as when I was needlessly given trouble over a visa that had already been declared valid) in a way that I previously would not have done.
The Laidlaw Program truly helped me develop my Leadership Capacity to connect with people by allowing me to practice it and have spaced-out check-ins on how I’d grown.
Developing a Global Mindset
Most of all, I think the Laidlaw Program has given me a more global mindset through the connections it has allowed me to make.
By staying in Ireland an extra summer after my Dual BA time there had ended, I was able to build new and stronger relationships with friends in Ireland. When I had the opportunity to return to Ireland for a LEAD Day and Residential Weekend, I found that these relationships were just as strong. TCD Scholar Ethan McCarthy graciously let me spend the night at his home, and a few months after, I got to meet up with him and Scholar Ben Kieran-Glennon in New York. This past summer, I was able to introduce Ethan to some friends from home who were interning in Washington D.C. (including Georgetown Scholar Annabelle Kim) at the same time he was, creating connections I never would have expected.
During my first LEAD Training at Trinity, I mentioned that I had a family trip planned to South Africa, including Johannesburg. TCD Scholar Beatrice Wharton-Hood is from Johannesburg, and when there, she graciously recommended her family’s favorite restaurant to my family and met us there when we visited.
Throughout the Laidlaw experience, I have continued to make and maintain relationships across distances. In this way, my perception of the separateness of different parts of the world has collapsed; I’ve found that it is possible to make friends from everywhere, and experienced the joys of knowing people from all over the world.
I could not have had these experiences and growth without the Laidlaw Program. As such, I would like to end by extending my sincerest thanks to Kate Ivanchenko and Darren Jones, both of whom coordinated and supported the entire Trinity College Dublin cohort in every way we could ask for.