The Laidlaw scholarship process required the establishment of goals encompassing leadership qualities that we aimed to learn, develop, or enhance. My objective was to become a valuable team member, fulfilling all assigned tasks, maintaining consistent communication with my supervisor throughout task completion, and infusing the project with a fresh level of creativity and innovative ideas. The project I worked on was called the Success School, a specialized program targeting underprivileged students between the ages of 16 and 18, with the aim of preparing them for higher education or the workforce. This comprehensive program comprised inspiring keynote speakers, workshops to enhance work-related skills like teamwork and communication, and additional resources for pursuing higher education. Although the program had been previously run, it was halted abruptly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of my role, I was responsible for reviving the program by coordinating with schools, selecting motivational speakers, and facilitating communication between the schools and the Dialogue Society.

During the LiA project, I dedicated my office hours from Monday to Wednesday. The hybrid working model provided this flexibility. In the initial week, I familiarized myself with the work environment, extensively reviewed past projects, and searched for relevant resources and previous keynote speakers within the existing files for utilization in the upcoming Success School. I had several meetings with my line manager during this period to seek guidance on the program's progression, but I gradually realized that the LiA experience required me to take initiative and exercise more autonomy in completing tasks than I had initially anticipated. I began by drafting grant applications to secure initial funding for the project, although this proved challenging due to my limited knowledge of the charity sector. Nevertheless, my line manager was supportive and available to assist whenever possible. Subsequently, I created Excel sheets containing contact information for potential inspirational keynote speakers who met our criteria. Finally, I conducted research and reached out to schools in deprived areas of London, inviting them to participate in our program. This task presented difficulties since most schools were on vacation, resulting in limited responses. Nonetheless, it provided a valuable opportunity to independently engage in professional communication.

Overall, I firmly believe that once the project is fully operational, it will offer an exceptional opportunity for students seeking to transcend the limitations imposed by their postal codes and aspire for more. My LiA experience was positive, as it was my first exposure to a 9-5 job. It taught me the nuances of working collaboratively within a team, adapting to an office environment, managing time effectively while completing tasks, and adhering to the office schedule. Additionally, I developed skills in taking initiative when corresponding with schools and the Dialogue Society team. Although I feel that my LiA could have incorporated more opportunities for leadership development, such as attending meetings or shadowing colleagues or even more tasks that required leadership qualities to develop. However, the six-week experience was thoroughly enjoyable and facilitated significant personal growth in terms of interpersonal communication and time management.