My Laidlaw scholarship has given me the opportunity to grow in two very different connected spaces: research and healthcare. As someone interested in biological research with translational applications in healthcare, I find that the day-to-day reality of lab work often feels removed from the patient and the end goal. My time in Quebec made that connection very obvious. During the day, I worked in research, and in the evenings, I volunteered at a hospice and long-term care facility. For the first time, it was hard to ignore the connection between scientific work and the people it is ultimately meant to serve. As I move forward in a career in research, I hope to keep that connection at the centre of everything I do and remember that improving global health begins not only with discovery but also with care and responsibility.

When applying for my Laidlaw scholarship, I described global citizenship as recognising the world's interconnectedness and using my privilege to make a positive difference. I still believe that, but Laidlaw has made those ideas far more practical and personal. My research abroad experience showed me that science is inherently interconnected. Knowledge, techniques and discoveries are shared across borders, and progress in one lab or country can contribute to healthcare advances elsewhere. Working in Québec made me more aware that research is not an isolated local activity, but part of a global effort to improve lives.

Before Laidlaw, I think I often imagined leadership as taking charge, producing outcomes or having visible responsibility. Now, I see ethical leadership as something more grounded in humility and care. It is about recognising where dignity, autonomy or voice may be diminished and choosing to act in a way that restores it. At St. Brigid’s, one of the projects I led was the “Market on Wheels”, where residents could use coupons earned through activities to choose small items for themselves. It seemed simple on the surface, but it showed me that leadership is not always about dramatic change. Sometimes it is about protecting choice, personhood and joy in the smallest details.

Finally, looking back over my time at university,  Laidlaw has helped shape my time at Durham. It has given me skills that have helped me secure further opportunities, including my MITACS scholarship. Most importantly, Laildaw has given me a network and friends that I hope to keep in contact with even after I graduate.