My final week of the LiA was busy, challenging, and rewarding. I had several projects to complete within a short turnaround, including finalising podcast ideas and preparing two workshops. Although I felt overwhelmed at times, I was proud that I continued to push through and managed to achieve a lot. The week gave me a chance to see how much I had developed in confidence, communication, and leadership throughout my LIA.

One of the highlights was meeting up to 10 new volunteers and creating opportunities for everyone to connect through activities such as Human Bingo. I also hosted a meeting with the new volunteers to discuss the podcast, where we explored ideas around different cultural backgrounds and shared comments and feedback. I was especially interested in making the podcast collaborative, so that different people could contribute their own experiences and perspectives rather than it being shaped by just one person.

I also had the opportunity to meet Slovenian volunteers from Društvo Center za pomoč mladim (CPM) and learn about their work and best practices as another NGO. This was valuable because it gave me a different perspective and reminded me of the importance of being curious and learning from people outside of my immediate environment. Alongside this, I continued developing social media content, including filming a behind-the-scenes recap of the room renovations and working on Part 2 of the Polish Words: Volunteers vs Native Speaker series.

Another major achievement was hosting my “Think Before You Share” social media workshop on Friday for 15 participants. Preparing the workshop within a short timeframe was challenging, but delivering it successfully gave me a lot of confidence. I had to take responsibility for planning, communicating with participants, and facilitating the session. It showed me that even when I am under pressure, I can turn an idea into something practical that engages other people.

I also finalised my presentation covering everything I had achieved during the LIA, along with suggestions for future work, and presented it on Saturday to four of the eight co-founders. This was an important moment of reflection because I had to look at my work as a whole and communicate not only what I had done, but also what could be improved or developed in the future. It made me realise how much I had accomplished during the LIA and gave me a chance to confidently share my ideas with others.

Overall, my final week showed me the importance of determination, curiosity, bravery, and collaboration in leadership. My biggest challenge was managing several deadlines at once, which showed me that prioritisation and time management are areas I still want to develop. However, I am proud that I was able to manage the pressure and still achieve meaningful outcomes. As I finish my LIA, I want to take these lessons forward:  continuing to be proactive and ambitious while becoming more organised and intentional in how I manage my time and responsibilities.