When I started my Laidlaw journey, I was unsure as to what to expect. With a such an esteem and almost mystical aura surrounding the foundation, its founding, and its work it was easy for me to feel slightly reserved and sceptical of the process at times. However, looking back on the last two years I can safely say my initial reservations were proven completely false! The corner stone of the Laidlaw foundation is to develop the new generation of global, ethical leaders, and I think it achieves this, but perhaps in a different way than intended.

The scholarship provides ample and amazing opportunities for both summer research projects and LiA projects, but ultimately it is up to the individual scholar to seize these opportunities and develop themselves. My Laidlaw journey was slightly atypical, with taking a year out, differing my LiA and entirety changing the project in the late stages at times it felt I was under more stress than was warranted. With mounting college and personal commitments additional Laidlaw workshops could feel like a chore. However, this is where I think the strength of the programme lies, in its flexibility and personal nature.

 It is only when you need it that you come to realise that the Laidlaw programme is a true personal development programme that is entirely focused on the success of each and every one of its scholars. The team in Trinity College Dublin were instrumental in the success and execution of my final summer project. The constant support and guidance ensured the project was carried out to fruition. I think the constant demonstration of care and attention to their scholars that Laidlaw coordinators show really exemplifies the true ethical leadership that the foundation wants to foster. Even more so that the painstakingly thought-out workshops, PowerPoints and speeches, the real moments of person-to-person support and care really illustrates what good leadership is. It is easy to overlook such roles, think of coordinators as administrator and not active members of each project, but that is flatly not true. It’s evident each coordinator takes active, vested interest in each participant and this inspires great confidence, perhaps it is a shame one only really realises this when things are going badly.

As I mentioned, the flexibility afforded to me allowed for the completion of my scholarship and my participation in a global exchange programme. The personal support and care given to me carried on as I was abroad, and I began to see myself emulating it in everyday life and at work. Subconsciously I would take on more leadership roles, but with a different style than before. I would take the opportunity to coordinate after work events, or present a college groups presentation, but would always take special care to involve each and every group or team member. I found developing, even briefly, these personal connections with people led to better results for the team as a whole. Furthermore, these results were amplified when working with people from different countries and cultures. Even without a common language, when the proper care and interest was given to people their engagement with the team skyrocketed. The connections I made abroad, using the skills thought by various wokrshops and my coordinaotr, allowed me to experience a much more personal side of global exchange. This experience abroad, with the skills learned from various aspects of the Laidlaw programme became the most rewarding aspect of the whole scholarship to me.

In regards to future leadership plans I full faith I will continue to take on more responsibility and leadership opportunities wherever I can find them. In terms of starting a new career I find myself already drawn to opportunities with scope for ethical leadership and interpersonal work. I can contribute this in no small part to the direct experience I made during my Laidlaw scholarship.