Laidlaw Welcome Event, Esther Simpson Café, Leeds 

Having only previously met a few of my fellow Laidlaw Scholars during the interview process, I was nervous to attend the Welcome Event, conscious of the abundance of intelligence and ambitiousness all my fellow Scholars had in common. Older cohorts also seemed slightly intimidating, their research posters which adorned the café testament to their success as Scholars. However, as the evening went on, the room of Scholars no longer felt like competition or strangers, but rather peers and mentors. 

The Welcome Event was a great opportunity to meet current Laidlaw Scholars, alumni, and staff at Leeds who all contribute to creating a welcoming community of mentorship and collaboration. The sense of community within Laidlaw at Leeds is immense, and I felt privileged to have been welcomed into it. 

Each presentation made by current Scholars and alumni of their time completing different aspects of the programme was underscored by their shared dedication to meaningful change; an inspiring insight into the integrity and ambition of Laidlaw Scholars. The event was thus a great opportunity to see how members of the Laidlaw community embody the different Laidlaw values and have used them to shape their own journeys as leaders.  

Weetwood Hotel, Headingley 

The first of two residentials this summer, Weetwood was a great opportunity to get to know my own cohort better across two busy days of leadership training, team building and networking. 

As we shared our individual Quintax personality profiles, it was interesting to see the variety of personalities within our cohort; a reminder of the value of diversity within leadership roles. From extroverts to introverts, thinkers and drivers, it's evident that as a cohort we all have different strengths and qualities, which we will benefit from as we collaborate together on our leadership journeys.  

I really enjoyed the opportunities to network in this residential, which extended from the speed-dating style networking session to the formal dinner, which was a lovely and entertaining opportunity to get to know Scholars, alumni and staff on a more personal level. Weetwood was a fantastic opportunity for my cohort to lay the foundations of community within our Laidlaw network at Leeds that I’m looking forward to building on as we progress on our journeys as Laidlaw Scholars. 

Selside Residential, Yorkshire Dales

Undoubtedly, the Selside Residential has been my favourite part of the programme so far. Despite the cryptic brief (that we would spend three days in a rural location without signal) inducing a mild sense of anxiety, the experience was truly unforgettable. 

At the beginning of the residential, we were given the opportunity to sit alone in nature to reflect on our intentions for the residential; how would we know if we had gotten the most out of the residential once it was over? I imagined I would feel a sense of satisfaction at the end of those three days if I managed to get to know all member of my cohort better and gave every activity a good go. 

Out of all the activities on the residential, caving was definitely my favourite. During this once in a lifetime experience, I achieved more than I thought I could (including crawling through the ridiculously narrow ‘cheese press’), which I would not have been able to achieve without the encouragement and guidance of my team. This sense of encouragement was evident throughout all activities as we guided each other to ledges while climbing, problem solved the most efficient way of ‘scrambling’ up rocks, encouraged each other up hills while hiking and celebrated each other's accomplishments. Through these activities I learnt that small acts of patience, encouragement and collaboration within leadership roles carry a lot of weight when building strong team relationships. 

Upon reflecting on this experience, I’m certain I managed to achieve all the personal outcomes of success I intended as I sat in contemplation on that first day beneath the Yorkshire peaks. 

Undoubtedly, I’ve had some incredible experiences on my Laidlaw journey so far. I’m beyond grateful to @Matt Penhaligon , @Rebecca Shaw , the wider UG Research team at Leeds and the Laidlaw Foundation for making these memorable opportunities possible. Looking forward, I’m excited to continue researching for my project on Feminst Art Making Histories and wish the best of luck to my fellow Scholars on their research projects this summer! 

Thank you for reading <3