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CMU announces 2019 Leadership Scholarship winners
Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is pleased to announce the recipients of this year's Leadership Scholarships: Jubilee Dueck Thiessen of Winnipeg, MB (Kelvin High School); Carrie Schulz of Winnipeg, MB (Westgate Mennonite Collegiate); Kyla Willms of Fonthill, ON (Eden High School); and Dawson Doucet of Selkirk, MB (Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School).
Four Leadership Scholarships are offered to students who demonstrate significant leadership ability, academic excellence, personal character, service, and vision. Worth up to $14,000 each over four years, the Leadership Scholarships are awarded annually to recent high school graduates.
"It is a privilege to get to know the many applicants in a small way through reading their outstanding applications," says Vern Kehler, Coordinator of Student Advising and member of the CMU Awards Committee. "We look forward to opportunities to walk with these young leaders as they engage and contribute in leadership at CMU and beyond."
Students applying for the Leadership Scholarships are required to provide a resumé of their leadership involvement, along with two letters of recommendation, and an essay reflecting on a leader who inspires them.
For Jubilee Dueck Thiessen, being a good leader means embodying what you believe and leading by example.
She has learned from influential leaders like Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid political leader, and Oprah Winfrey, actress and philanthropist, that a leader must be humble, passionate, and acknowledge the complexity in all situations in life.
"As I develop as a leader, my passion lies in growing peace and reconciliation both in my relationships and in a broader world so broken and full of hurt," Dueck Thiessen says.
Dueck Thiessen expects her studies at CMU will equip her with peacebuilding skills that will prepare her to be a compassionate leader needed in today's world.
Carrie Schulz believes empathy and good communication, which help leaders be open-minded and welcoming, are essential to being an effective leader.
She points to Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement, as someone who embodied these values. Gandhi lived with the poorest of the poor and became part of their community.
"In today's society, it often feels like people try to look for things to divide us, and make up excuses to build barriers," Schulz says. "As a leader, I would work towards finding ways to connect others and build trust together."
Schulz is looking forward to developing as a leader in CMU's community, which she says will be a supportive and safe place to grow.
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From Kyla Willms's perspective, leadership is all about serving others, rather than how much power you have. Grace, humility, and compassion are her three pillars of good leadership.
Her ultimate example of these qualities is God, who became flesh and lived among God's people. She also looks to author and motivational speaker Bob Goff, political activist Harriet Tubman, and student activist Delaney Tarr as models of these qualities.
"I am looking forward to how I can explore my role as a leader at CMU. I hope to express the value of acceptance and love in today's society," Willms says.
Willms believes her experience at CMU, especially her courses in Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies, will have a big impact on her leadership journey.
Dawson Doucet strives to be a humble leader. He says it is important for leaders to work equally as hard as their team members and make them feel valued.
His experience on a service trip in Peru last summer showed him what a humble leader should look like and affirmed him in his leadership abilities.
"Everyone is created equally. Throughout my leadership journey, I must continue with this belief... If one is always humble and always kind, you will transform people's lives for the better," Doucet says.
Doucet is excited to be at CMU, surrounded by like-minded students with an openness to learn and embrace leadership.
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