Sakshi Kanda Wins Inaugural Women In Leadership Student Award
MBA student Sakshi Kanda (MBA Class of 2017) is the inaugural recipient of the Women in Leadership Student Award, which was presented at the 13th Annual Inspire to Aspire Conference hosted by Women in Leadership (WIL). The award recognizes academic excellence and strong leadership attributes and provides financial support to Schulich female students enrolled in the BBA/iBBA or MBA/IMBA program.
“I was drawn to Women in Leadership in my first year, seeing it as a platform upon which women could share ideas, professional and academic guidance, and support for one another. Now in the last few months of my MBA, receiving the award is very meaningful to me. All throughout my time at Schulich, I have been surrounded by exceptional women who I have the deepest respect for. Amidst such driven and intelligent women, I feel very privileged to receive this award.”
In applying for the Award, Sakshi recalls reflecting on her own role in the WIL community, where she currently serves as a mentor to undergraduate students, and to the larger Schulich community. “It was a very humbling experience thinking of all the wonderful women at this school who have worked so hard to empower each other.”
Now in its 13th year of advocating for and advancing female leadership, WIL continues to work on defining a solid future for its members, including offering the Women In Leadership Student Award. “The Award represents all the hard work and strong network Women in Leadership have built for the past 13 years and plays a huge role in advancing women in leadership roles and inspiring alumni, faculty members, and students to work together and continue building the future of the next generations”, states Valeria.
As Sakshi looks forward to continuing her learning and building her experience in the financial sector, she is thankful for the added boost to her confidence the Award has given her. “The Award not only alleviates the recipient’s financial burden, it also gives her the confidence to pursue anything and know that she is supported by an entire community of men and women who want to see her succeed. It sets her up to step into the working world knowing that there are people who recognize her hard work and her right to dream big for herself,” says Sakshi.
This year’s WIL Co-Presidents Stephanie Nicoll (MBA Class of 2017) and Valeria Ramirez (BBA Class of 2017) hope the award, with help from its supporters, continues to grow for years to come. “A donation to the WIL Student award is demonstrating your investment in the next generation of female leaders. This will allow us to close the gender gap by providing female leaders the motivation and skills to enable them to break the glass ceiling,” concludes Stephanie.
For more information about WIL, please visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/schulichwil.