This blog has been written by Rising Leaders 2024/25 participant, Miranda (Mimi) Ruziwe.

I had always been excited to start this new journey as a Rising Leader from the moment it had been revealed to me. I’m the type that loves meeting new people and engaging in conversation with anyone and everyone. So, to be welcomed by a wonderful team that was giving energy and vibes from the first minute, I felt safe and a part of a new mini family. 

Over the 3 days it was really motivational to see 11 other girls come out of their individual comfort zones and really open up and engage in the workshops and activities we had set out for us. From expressing who we are in our mood boards, to delivering fun coaching sessions, having deep conversations surrounding our unique journeys within football. Being able to learn new things surrounding our collective passion together helped us to bond and become comfortable with trying new things with people we had only just met. 

Part of being a successful leader is being able to adapt and connect with different people and step away from the fear of being judged and critiqued by people who they are not familiar with. That is something that I really noticed with the girls. They made it easy to excel in whatever task we had been given to do. 

I feel as if residential one really assisted us in boosting our people skills, communication, problem solving. All of these skills that help us to engage with other people and to have meaningful and intellectual discussions. 

Something else I have taken away from residential one personally, is the confidence to speak about what I do without feeling as if I’m being arrogant. There’s a fine line between being proud of what I have achieved and being arrogant and boastful. But by attending residential one, I feel as if I now more than ever am able to speak freely when asked about the work I have done without feeling bad about it. 

Moving forward into residential two, I know that with the tasks we have already been set, being able to deliver our group work will be a breeze. Not only that, but I feel as if we will all really benefit from learning and sharing knowledge from each other, getting us to engage in further conversation and challenging our minds further. 

Altogether I am just so grateful for these opportunities to be a part of a program such as Rising Leaders. It is honestly going to be a life changing experience for me and the other 11 girls taking part. We’ve had one successful residential, now 2 more to go! And with the energy and vibes that we all brought to the first one, I just know we really will have a fun yet productive residential two.