Every semester, In the Lead supports young people in realizing their natural strengths. As our Young Leaders learn to recognize and utilize their unique abilities, many also grow confidence – in themselves, in their strengths, and in their communities.

One of our Young Leaders from the Fall 2023 semester gave an incredible speech at our Skipping Stone Wrap Up event. Akira’s speech highlights how she has evolved through her time with In the Lead – starting as an uncertain and shy young person, to finishing In the Lead as a strong and confident leader. Her speech touched our hearts, and she has kindly allowed us to share it with you.

Here is Akira’s speech:

“When I first showed up here at In The Lead 3 semesters ago, I was. Really nervous. I had been convinced to come because a friend (who) had been here already told me it was great. And also, they were going to be there.

You wouldn’t believe it now, but when I first arrived here I was painfully shy and was planning on spending the entire class right next to that friend.

Then, something weird happened.

Everyone in that class was… amazing. Before this, I’d never really been in a room with so many other queer and trans kids my age, and I found myself being remarkably social and chatting with tons of other people. I was, honestly, entranced. It was a great time, and although I was having fun I didn’t honestly see how the things we did actually promoted leadership. I enjoyed everything, sure, and I was certainly more social in class, but I didn’t really realise how In The Lead was changing me. But I had enough fun that I came back for a second semester.

Then, something weirder happened.

I came back for a second semester, and as the semester progressed I found myself accidentally taking on more leadership roles. And being social. And even weirder, knowing what I was doing. I kept signing up for things, and taking on leadership roles, and then doing a double-take afterwards, realising that I just led a group project. And it only got weirder from there. Over the summer, I joined a group of kids at an overnight summer camp who worked with the staff there to give insight into how the campers were doing and help to be friendly fellow campers to make sure everyone was having a great time. And somehow, I excelled at it. Within a day, I was making announcements to the whole camp about things and organising projects to get done. One day, after I made one of those announcements, one of the (camp counsellors) that I’d had in previous years came up to talk to me. He told me that he was really proud of what I did there, and that I’d come a long way from the scared 12-year-old I was when I first joined that camp.

And that was when I realised what magic In The Lead does.

It’s sneaky, and not easily noticeable until you start to see its effects. I don’t know when I turned from a shy grade 11 into the somehow-confident grade 12 I am now, but I certainly know that it only started happening when I showed up here. Because of this program, I’m more confident and unsurprisingly, a better leader. And I’ll admit, the shock of realising that I am this person now is a lot. I still keep doing double-takes when I realise who I am today and how different that is from the person I was only a year and a half ago. If you had told me at the start of In The Lead that I would be doing half the things I’m doing now, I wouldn’t have believed you.

The coach experience too has been really amazing… this semester, Jenneth wound up being my coach… Jenneth has been an amazing coach, and it’s been really amazing being able to talk through leadership and just life with her. I really feel like I understand why the coach program is here now and why it’s so crucially important as a part of this program. So, to Jenneth, you’re an amazing badass and I’m so glad you were my coach.

And now I’m here with all of you.

It’s been honestly so amazing to just be in a class with all of you amazing people. I know this is my third semester, but I still feel like I’ve learned and grown so much in this semester. You all are just so amazingly and boldly yourselves, and I’m just in awe of all of your (strengths) and skills. You’re all such kind, creative, intelligent, and really funny people and it’s been such a privilege to be in a class with all of you. I’m going to miss this place a lot.

I know that this class is only one semester long, but the amount of growth I’ve seen in myself and in all of you in that short time has been incredible. This place is changing so many people’s lives and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it. It’s been such a journey getting here, but now that I’m leaving I’m so glad that I decided to come in the first place.

To Danae: you’ve been such an amazing coordinator for this whole thing. I hope that you know how many lives you’ve changed by doing this, and how many more lives are going to be changed by the students who’ve graduated from this program. I’m going to miss you a lot, and thank you so much for believing in me…

I really don’t feel like I have the words to convey how much this has changed my life, and how sad I am to be going. I’ve said it before: This place is life-changing, and I would be such a different person if I hadn’t joined. Thank you so much for listening to me, and trusting me, and for teaching me how to be the kind of leader I want to see in the world. I’m never going to forget this place and how it changed me

Thank you.”

Thank YOU, Akira!

We are incredibly proud of Akira and all of our amazing Young Leaders from this past semester. Each and every one of them has grown so much in such a short amount of time. We can’t wait to hear about the amazing things these Young Leaders accomplish in the future.