GEMinar #5 – Owning Your Future Hosted by Unilever

Our last GEMinar for the 2019/2020 cohort was held on May 30th and hosted by Unilever.

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The day started off with a special keynote from City of Toronto’s mayor, John Tory, addressing grit and perseverance, both of which are extremely important during this challenging time. With his senior advisor Emily Hillstrom (also GEM Mentor), he also directly answered questions from GEM mentees.

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Some questions include:

“What are some advice you would give young women, like us, to succeed in today’s ever-changing world of business and politics?” – Julianna T. (Mentee)

“Can you tell us a time when you stayed motivated, despite being discouraged and struggling?” – Iman H. (Mentee)

“What sorts of challenges do you think our next generation will face and what advice do you have to overcome them?” – Sara G. (Mentee)

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The next segment was a panel discussion with Unilever’s Julia Boccadoro, Kelsey Bruce, Laura Dobson, and Tammy Janes, who offered their own experiences and advice on how optimism, confidence, and empathy play a role in our lives and futures.

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Mentors and mentees also had an opportunity to interact with one another in small intimate groups and reflect on their experiences this year.

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12 scholarship winners were announced, generously supported by our partners.

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To wrap up the session, former GEM alumnae Aaliyah, Shirley, and Mathurah spoke about their GEM experience and how the program helped build some foundational skills that helped carry them through high school and into university, some of which include: making connections and networking, being courageous, finding opportunities, and believing in your own value.

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Thank you Unilever for hosting such a great session!