An Illuminating NHLC Experience

Personal Introduction:

Hello there, my name is Caleb Jeyanathan. I attend St. Brother Andre Catholic Highschool in Markham Ontario. Today I had the amazing experience of attending the Illumination National High School Leadership Conference with over 170 students globally. Below is my blog which highlights the lessons about entrepreneurship, collaboration and finance that I learned.

Body Blog Content:

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Morning Activity Name:

1. What were my key takeaways from the opening keynote? What did I learn about the speaker's career and what did I find interesting?

The first speaker initially felt pressured to become an engineer as a teen, but became a CPA. She discussed what it means to be a leader, not just someone who knows what to do all the time. She discussed her experience as an immigrant. She discussed how her career path as a CPA would be considered unusual. Personally I learned that becoming a CPA can lead to several different career paths. I also learned that I do not need to fit inside the box of what it means to be a conventional leader. Instead, I learned that being a leader means to know when to listen and speak.

Workshop #1: Concentra Leadership

What were my key takeaways from the first workshop? What did I learn about the topic and myself?

She initially felt pressured to become an engineer, but became a CPA. She discussed what it means to be a leader, not just someone who knows what to do all the time. She discussed her experience as an immigrant. She discussed how her career path as a CPA would be considered unusual. Personally I learned that becoming a CPA can lead to several different career paths.

Workshop #2: Deloitte Leadership

What were my key takeaways from the first workshop? What did I learn about the topic and myself?

They discussed the value of a dollar and how it can change over time. How money can increase in value exponentially over time. I also learned that everyone can invest at a young age. Everyone wishes you could go back in time. You have to be able to predict patterns and trends in industries in order to make wise investment decisions

Deloitte Keynote:

What were my key takeaways and learning outcomes?

My key takeaways were the distinctions between SAM and TAM. I also learned how market sizing can vary. The sizes of minimum and maximum size of a market should always be estimated. The speaker used the analogy of red cars in Canada. He estimated that there are 2-3 million red cars in Canada. He mentioned that this was a large margin.

Entrepreneurship and leadership know no boundaries.

In what ways do I consider myself an entrepreneur? If I were to create a business and I only had $5 in my pocket, what would my business be? How can I apply the entrepreneurial mindset in what I do in the future?

• I consider myself an entrepreneur as a person who operates and organizes a business

• If I had only $5 in my pocket I would start an event planning service or an online store or etsy shop with pre orders, to keep costs down

Closing Blog Content:

1. What is one thing I am very passionate about and looking forward to next year after attending NHLC?

   1. Next year after attending NHLC I am looking forward to investing in stocks. I am also looking forward to pursuing entrepreneurship in the future. I am excited to pursue a career in commerce after high school as well.

2. If you could share one piece of advice about leadership with your readers, something you learned at NHLC, what would it be?

   1. A piece of advice I would share with my readers is that you do not need to fit inside the box of what it means to be a conventional leader. Instead, I learned that being a leader means to know when to listen and speak. A good leader can include people’s ideas and delegate tasks while being diplomatic and democratic.