How Ruckus Entrepreneurs Changed Me
As far as I can remember, I hated interacting with people. I hated speaking up about what I want and my opinions on things. I was always over-apologizing. I never said ‘no’ especially when people asked me to do something. When I joined Concordia, I realized that my opinion mattered and my opinions were valid. I was listened to and appreciated. When I started applying these realizations to my day-to-day life, I found myself starting to gain confidence to speak to people about the things I wanted and thought were beneficial. Concordia showed me how to take action, how to be a leader, and how to help myself when no one else can. During my time with Concordia, I learned how to be independent and braver when talking to people who are my age or people who are older than me.
When I joined Concordia, it was pretty easy finding who was well respected and who embodied the role of independence and confidence. I saw people my age and people in the same programs as me being a little bit ahead and always knowing what’s to come. These rising leaders within the program inspired me to want to be like them and to be braver about the things I want to share. Another way that Concordia helped me flourish were the things we were assigned to do. We were assigned to talk, meet, learn about, and collaborate with new people; all things that terrified me. An important skill that will also help me in real life situations is resilience. You’re going to make mistakes working with people at Concordia, but learning to get back up and try again is definitely my favorite thing I’ve learned. Concordia helped me step out of my comfort zone and taught me skills that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise.
The Ruckus Entrepreneurs program really brought me out of my shell. I appreciate really learning what it’s like to manage a small business. I joined this internship thinking that it was going to be very challenging, but it was actually very informative without being too hard. I personally think I’m a resilient person, and Concordia lets their teens have a lot of creative liberty. When I’m making something, I repeat it several times. When I don’t like my idea, I start over and try again.
