About the challenges I worked on?

Before our projects even begun, I was able to engage with my cohort through our leadership residential, training weekends and being stuck in an airport (almost making it to the Laidlaw conference). I learnt that I have a calm and logical leadership approach, and supporting team members in different scenarios. I now have a strong passion for challenging myself to solve problems, especially in a collaborative team environment where I could really focus on building ideas and having a positive impact on a large number of people. I felt very proud of the outcomes I produced both as an individual in my first year project and during my time in Mexico and feel like my confidence and leadership skills has grown massively.  

My Research Project: I found it challenging during my research project to be constantly innovative, especially when my initial ideas proved to be unsuccessful and it felt like I was taking many steps backwards before I could take a step forwards. This was especially true being a first year in an academic lab, where the equipment and protocols were more advanced than I was used to and I had to push myself through making mistakes and take my first attempts slowly to allow me to fully process the information that I was working with.

At the end of my LiA, my team received many expressions of gratitude and words of thanks from our project collaborators at Rennueva and the positive results from the staff surveys we conducted after our training and the delivery of the manual, which had taken many challenging hours and draft attempts to finalise. I left the project feeling like I had made a significant and long-lasting impact on Rennueva, and that they would make good use of the resources we had dedicated so much energy and research to creating.

I was also very fulfilled by being able to work at a fast pace and challenging myself to complete both my project within a short time frame. When I consider everything I was able to accomplish within the 6 weeks—understanding and applying design thinking, ideating, prototyping, delivering a project, and immersing myself in new environments or cultures—I will no longer place limits on what I believe is achievable. I will strive to continue learning about different global cultures and fully apply myself to any future projects, as I know that I can set ambitious goals and achieve them.

About myself?

I realised the extent to which I embody Laidlaw values and how I can continue to develop them in the future. I particularly acknowledge that I can work quickly, set ambitious goals, and am determined to achieve them. I am highly curious about the world and the people around me. In the coming years, including during my placement year and the remainder of my time at university, I will continue to apply these values to my work, striving to set ambitious goals and do good in the various projects and tasks that come my way.

I also realised that I love learning about different cultures, and I rekindled my love of art. During my visit to Mexico, I discovered a wide range of art galleries and museums across CDMX,  and attended my first dance show based on traditional Mexican folklore, and even pushed myself out of my comfort zone to visit a salsa club. All these experiences enriched my time in Mexico, filling my free time with colour, music, and fun.

About working with others?

During my time on my research project, I learnt that I enjoy working with new people and prefer being in a collaborate environment rather than working independently, as I enjoy building on new ideas alongside others and the benefits that diversity of thought can bring when working within a team. For this reason, I realised that an academic pathway is less suited to me and that I should explore different paths that suit my working style better. However, during my time within the lab, I learn about the benefit of engaging with those who are older and more experienced that me and used the PhD students and my project supervisor as my mentors to help me to gain confidence in my project and about the different journeys they had taken to get into the research field. Especially working in a very international team it was intriguing to learn more about the different cultures, and the benefits and opportunities of being based In the UK academic system in comparison to lesser developed countries.

While on my LiA, I truly enjoyed learning about the other scholars, spending my summer with other high-achieving young people, and getting to know their ambitious goals and how they are working towards becoming future ethical leaders. I was surprised by the number of similarities between us, including our shared drive to create a more inclusive and empowering environment and our desire to help the people around us feel confident. It was also very insightful to see how other people approach the same projects and the benefit this can bring in creating an ideal structure and many new ideas surrounding how to progress to the final target deliverables.

What comes next for you after the Laidlaw Scholars Programme, and how will you continue to develop these learnings into the future?

After I finish my LiA this summer, I will be working within a top global pharmaceutical company for my placement. During this time, I will aim to get involved in any ESG initiatives presented to me, bringing my LiA project experience to others and helping provide ideas and strategies. Additionally, as my placement is research based, I shall take the learnings from my research project of handling data and scientific discovery, to make meaningful contributions to the work I am put on.  I will also strive to make the most of the opportunity, demonstrating my curiosity and fast-paced learning to continue developing my skills in project management, leadership, and problem-solving. Outside of work, I will continue contributing to various volunteer initiatives, assisting with volunteer management, and sharing insights from my time in Mexico to inspire other young people to seek out similar opportunities. I will support them in their endeavours so that they, too, can have the same incredible learning opportunities that I’ve been fortunate to experience.