Post by the excellent Ianna Lalim, one of our 2019 Leadership Competition winners.
I applied for the Country to Canberra Power Trip because, honestly, why not? On top of its focal motivation towards gender equality it offered opportunities to develop and further leadership skills, to meet influential and passionate people, and simply, to learn. However, even going in with such a synopsis in my mind I had no idea how powerful this experience would be.
The trip consisted of one of the craziest four days of my life. As detailed on the website, we were given the opportunity to attend workshops, tour Parliament House, and meet so many amazing people that made this experience one of such genuine learning and enjoyment. Throughout every event was the underlying message and goal towards gender equality. It was dissected more clinically in workshops, we were inspired for it during events such as the Powerful Women’s Breakfast, and the potential of achieving gender equality was made so clear in every female leader we met, and also, so evidently, we saw this potential in our fellow
participants, now, my friends.
The volunteers and team at Country to Canberra, who were so kind and lovely throughout it all, made this trip indeed powerful. While the tours, workshops, and meetings with leaders of all kinds was critical for making it so, it was the atmosphere of camaraderie and support that the team cultivated among us, the participants, that makes this trip stand out. I cannot recommend this experience enough, and I will always treasure what it gave me to walk away with: memories, learnings, inspiration, and of course, friends.