I feel that completing my Global Scholars Capstone project has significantly shaped many important life skills, which connect to the Thinker, Leader, Nurturer, Prophet core characteristics of Saint Ursula. It has deepened my confidence, leadership style, and sense of purposeful impact as I have worked to use each of the 4 with balance and harmony. One of my most impactful moments was just beginning to figure out if the library would collaborate with me on my project. Without any prior connections, I walked in, presented my idea, then asked who to contact to plan it out more. This really opened my eyes and taught me that I am capable of creating opportunities for myself through initiative and persistence which I think connects well to the Ursuline core value of excellence since I was doing my best. I realized that if you have a goal, then you don’t really need a solid process to be already set out for you, like one always has in school. Throughout the project, I also discovered the importance of having a strong vision while being adaptable in case new challenges demanded it be adjusted. I did my best to approach each component of the display, workshops, and starter kits with a strong idea of what I wanted to achieve. I think this gave me a base guide for my decisions and helped to keep the project more cohesive. At the same time, I learned to problem-solve and adjust quickly when challenges arose, which connects to the Ursuline core value of optimism, whether that was materials missing for workshops (which did get found) or feeling pressed for time to complete informational packets. I think this helped me to strengthen my resilience and thinking independence. Leading this project also showed me that I can bring people together around a shared goal. I got to recruit friends to help with assembling kits and preparing materials, and I collaborated with my community library which connected my project very well to finding joy in the Ursuline core value of service. Seeing others contribute to and believe in my project really inspired me to keep going and brought me more passion to lead it. 

    Overall, I truly developed a wide range of leadership skills, including project management, public speaking, budgeting, and organization. I learned to better manage timelines, coordinate resources, and make sure that each part of the project was getting done on time and well. I got to practice and better my public speaking skills by leading workshops and communicating the importance of my project to many different audiences. I believe this experience also deepened my commitment to community engagement because talking to workshop participants and seeing their enthusiasm made me realize how meaningful it is to share knowledge and create new spaces for shared learning. It inspired me to continue pursuing opportunities that combine education, sustainability, and community impact alongside my more scientific passions. Most importantly, this project showed me that I have the ability to turn an idea into meaningful change. The skills and confidence I gained will continue to influence my future goals as I hope to keep “rallying the masses” for the causes I believe in by using everything I learned. I believe this project as truly filled me with more faith, integrity, and courage, readiness to make a positive impact in the world.