I had my final SGA meeting today. And it felt bittersweet. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to be rid of all the stress and workload I took on during my time here, but I only took it on because I love helping so much. I loved being a part of making our community a better and more inclusive place, organising and hosting events. I have taken on ticket and poster designs, hosting pep rallies and other assemblies and have been very vocal during meetings about the wants and needs of our community.

Being in the SGA has taught me many qualities that is seen in leaders. I have had to assess situations without internal bias, taking perspectives into account and being aware of my own opinions on the matter. Acknowledging them to let myself know they’re valid, but dismissing them when they don’t build something up. I’ve collaborated not only with my fellow grade representatives and the EXCO, but also teachers, staff members, and other people within and outside our community to bring it all together. This engagement has taught me how to seamlessly transition between codes used in different scenarios and where I can dial the professionalism up or down to the comfort level of others.

I hope that in the future I am able to take these skills I have learned and apply them to other areas such as leadership within my future university, or in the workspace as well as other group scenarios. I thank all those who have made this an amazing experience and teaching me so much because I couldn’t have done it without the supervising teachers, the SGA members and the community who allowed me to help them.

Featured Image Credit: Eloise Golding