After interning at the Chamber this summer, I had the privilege of returning to attend the EPIC Toledo Leadership Summit, presented by Buckeye Broadband, this year. This provided the opportunity to immerse myself in a rich environment of new perspectives, advice, and experiences shared by seasoned leaders. The Summit experience has undoubtedly enhanced my perspective on success and overcoming challenges and will continue to contribute to my ability to thrive in my future. Here are some of my key takeaways and ways I plan to apply this experience to my life after graduation. |
I was able to hear from both Mark Ostach and Darryl Brown at Summit. Both established professionals gave insight on their ways to embrace who they are while leading themselves and others to success.
Mark Ostach spoke on his experience of planting seeds in his own life, along with in others’, to allow future growth. His testimony of how his perspective has shifted throughout his career was impactful. From hearing Mark’s advice, I was able to change my focus from worrying about how my future will turn out and shift to focus on my present life and building my future one step at a time. This is a change that I believe is going to be beneficial and allow me to start planting my own seeds to thrive.
Darryl Brown shared his story of learning to thrive while embracing himself and his roots. His success is built on being true to who he is and where he is from. I found his story and advice to be very impactful as well. From his story of building his own success, I realized that life and success isn't just about where I'm headed, but also about embracing the very core of who I am and where I originate from.
How This Applies to Me After Graduation
The lessons learned at the EPIC Toledo Leadership Summit, presented by Buckeye Broadband, are not just confined to the walls of the event; they are seeds that have been sown, promising to sprout into skills and knowledge that will contribute to my future successes. I gained confidence in embracing my true self and where I am from, and I started focusing on building my future.
I am a college student, graduating in May 2024, and this experience will be a stepping stone to prepare me for entering the workforce upon graduation. I will take the knowledge and advice from the Summit and walk confidentially into the new environments and challenges I may face after graduation. This will be made easier with the newfound confidence I have knowing my success will come with hard work and by staying true to who I am.