I come from a background where education is almost always at the forefront, and beyond education, I was raised to feel an ethical obligation to empower and uplift my community using my privilege and potential, and I believe that the Chief Science Officers program has provided me with the perfect environment to do just that. I recently attended the Leadership Training Institute in Atlanta, and I thought I’d share my experiences and hopefully motivate others to get involved in this organization and all it has to offer.
We all arrived in the Global Learning Center at Georgia Tech, and as I looked around the room, I was immediately welcomed to a diverse, energized, and friendly cohort of young men and women. The Leadership Council did an amazing job of guiding us through each session, teaching the essentials of marketing, pitching, social media presence, and so much more. It was truly inspiring to see people like me leading so professionally while also maintaining a natural and open attitude and mindset. Our discussion of personality types and colors was particularly enlightening and served as a valuable point of view when considering leadership challenges and teamwork skills.
Action-packed and intense as they were, those two days went by faster than I expected, and I came away from the experience with new friends, memories, and perhaps most importantly, a newly fortified set of tools, identity as a Chief Science Officer, and established relationships and connections that I can use to make a difference and empower my community and world through the power of STEM.
By: CSO Samyukta
