Here are some of the recipients of the 2023 Emerging Leader Award. Check back tomorrow to see more the complete list of Emerging Leader Award Winners. If you missed yesterday’s story you can find it here. 

Mikayla Hunter (She/They)

Mikayla advocates for several causes, such as founding the Queer & Trans Health Sciences Graduate Student Group and acting as a research assistant for Measuring Equity and Generating Action in Cancer. She emphasizes how leading with humility has expanded their advocacy.

“While I think that we are all more likely to get involved with advocacy that touches our own hearts in some way, leading with humility means that what you advocate for doesn’t always necessarily have to impact you or your own desires. What is important to the people I lead is therefore important to me, even if I have nothing to gain.”

Mikayla’s view on leadership is to always uplift the people she leads. Change takes many hands, and the leader may be the one to bring all the pieces together, none of it would be possible without the other people who contribute.

Tréchelle Bunn

For Tréchelle Bunn, leading with humility allows everyone to feel safe, heard, seen and valued. She has been an active leader and advocate for causes she is passionate about, founding the Reconciliation Run Half-Marathon, being a mentor in the Neechiwaken Indigenous Peer Mentor Program, acting as a delegate for the Native Women’s Association of Canada – Generation for Equality and being Youth Chief of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization. In her election speech she said:

“I want to lead alongside my fellow youth and community members in partnership as a collective. Leading with humility is sharing the leadership role and encouraging others to get involved and utilize their voice for positive change.”

Tréchelle shared that her value for leading with humility was instilled in her by her parents. She credits her them for teaching her that great leaders empower those around them and great leaders are selfless, humble and balanced.

Today, in the second of our three-part leadership series, we are focusing on three award recipients that have found success through leading by example.

Anita Ayame

Anita Ayame

Anita has taken on leadership roles in various organizations and was the President and founder of the Black Student Committee (BSC), acted as the Black Students’ Representative to UMSU, designed and facilitated a Race and Diversity Workshop Series, and started an AMDF company in 2020. Anita, explains how the philosophy of leading by example has guided the ways they have gotten involved. 

“I seek out opportunities where I can make a positive difference and align with my values of service, influence, and impact. I look for roles and organizations that prioritize growth and development, collaboration, inclusivity, and making a meaningful contribution to the community. I actively seek out leadership positions where I can create opportunities for others to succeed and become leaders themselves. This philosophy also influences the way I approach challenges and setbacks, as I prioritize resilience, adaptability, and learning from mistakes.”

Phiona Buhr

Phiona Buhr

Phiona Buhr’s leadership philosophy is modelled after Canada’s former chief of the Defence Staff General Rick Hillier’s. The five components that Phiona models in her philosophy are:

1. Have a well-defined purpose.
2. Inspire others to that purpose.
3. Provide a great personal example, including optimism in the face of moral breaking challenges.
4. Set a base of values and principles
5. Provide a strategic framework for others to succeed.

Phiona facilitates a transgender support community at the Rainbow Resource Centre where she puts this model into action. 

“I do my best to provide a good example. I show people a healthy level of vulnerability. And when conflict inevitably arises, I show members how a properly applied conflict resolution framework can turn an otherwise unpleasant, or destructive, experience into an opportunity for growth.”

Li-elle Rapaport

Li-elle Rapaport

Li-elle works to amplify the voices of others through her one-on-one work with older adults in the community. On campus, she engages her peers through the clinical student mentorship program, and her role as President on the Graduate Association for Students in Psychology (GASP). In this role, Li-elle plans to promote the distribution of resource guides to help students learn how to get involved in projects that they care about in their communities. She explains that to her, leading by example doesn’t require leaders to be the one at the front of the crowd. Instead, she thinks that most everyday leaders are doing the important work hidden within the crowd. 

“I realized when I started university that amplifying others’ voices was another aspect of my own definition of ‘hadracha b’dugma’, which is Hebrew for leading by example. In many ways, my community passed this philosophy onto me, and through my own experiences, I was able to assign personal meaning to it.”

Check back tomorrow for Part 3 of our Emerging Leader Award highlight series to hear how humility has influenced our next group of recipients’ leadership outlooks. If you missed yesterday’s story, you can find that here.

The University of Manitoba is pleased to announce the 2023 recipients of the Emerging Leader Award. The Emerging Leader Award is a way for the University of Manitoba to recognize the outstanding contributions that students make to the enhancement of the institution and our community. Introduced in 2006, this award has recognized students who have made significant contributions to the University of Manitoba and the greater community. In 2023, the 88 students receiving Emerging Leader Awards have proven they are inspired by their continued work in their respective communities.

This week we will highlight a few recipients of the 2023 Emerging Leader Award. Check back tomorrow to meet more featured student leaders.

Sydney Rubletz

Sydney Rubletz

Sydney Rubletz is an active member of the Price Faculty of Engineering and was the president of the Women of Manitoba Engineering Network (WOMEN) group for the 2022-2023 academic year. She plans to prioritize her involvement with the UM EngiQueers student group in the upcoming year. When asked further about her leadership philosophy, Sydney shared this:

“My leadership philosophy of collaboration was heavily influenced by the lessons taught in the Price Faculty of Engineering. Every engineering student and professional in and outside the University of Manitoba I have met knows and appreciates that engineering is not an individual practice. We are taught early that engineering is a team sport.”

Amarzish Qadeer

Amarzish Qadeer

Amarzish Qadeer seeks out opportunities that promote collaboration and inclusivity. This can be seen through her work as a volunteer meeting facilitator at the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, as a Welcome Mentor at the University of Manitoba’s International Student Orientation and as a member of both the UMGSA and the UM-MSA. Amarzish’s  leadership philosophy was shaped through her involvement in various community initiatives and organizations that exposed her to diverse perspectives and collaborative environments.

“Working alongside individuals from different backgrounds and varying expertise has taught me the power of leveraging collective strengths and embracing diversity to achieve common goals. By working together and pooling our collective strengths, we can achieve far more than we can as individuals. I believe in fostering a culture of inclusivity and openness, where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and ideas to make a positive impact on our communities and the world around us.”

Please visit the Emerging Leaders Award website to learn more about recognition of UM students leaders and their outstanding contributions