On Wednesday 23 April Hannah Matehaere and myself attended a live webinar re-imagining 2020: leading in lock-down.

The aim of this webinar was to invite student leaders to connect with like-minded girls across Australasia, to reimagine our leadership year and provide an opportunity to share our ideas and experiences with each other. The webinar panel consisted of three girls from Australia and one girl from New Zealand. These girls spoke about the challenges they have been facing through lock-down and how they have been keeping in contact with their girls through their leadership positions. For example, the usage of social media to keep in contact or organising grocery deliveries for people who are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. 

The girls on the panel were really inspirational and relatable and it was so good to see that the techniques we have been using down here are so similar to what they have been doing. It was also very reassuring that our worries and doubts were not only felt just by us. It is more common than we think to feel a whirlwind of emotions about our current situation. We also heard from Loren Bridge who is the executive officer of the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia.

She spoke about how she was left thinking what now, following the cancellation of every event on her 2020 calendar. She mentioned how devastated she was and how it impacted the Alliance and how we all must have been feeling similar, especially being so new to our leadership positions and working towards our various goals in sporting, academic and arts/cultural areas. This led to the creation of this lock-down webinar to reconnect with us and bring us some reassurance from like-minded girls. Following the webinar, all of the girls were invited to a Facebook page. This page is used for us to keep in contact with each other and keep sharing our ideas. It is so beneficial to see, talk and interact with other girls who are so relatable.

These are my top 10 things from the webinar that I feel are the most thought provoking, impressional and inspiring.

• It’s ok to do a bit less when you are coping with more.

• It is more than ok to ask for help and there are tonnes of people looking out for you.

• Quality not quantity. Just do your best!

• Adapt and act. We will be stronger on the other side.

• See the good! For the first time in history the whole world is working together to eradicate the virus.

• We are all daughters, sons, cousins, friends and more. We still have to fulfill those roles even during lock-down. Check in on the people you care about and make sure they are doing well. Even a five minute chat can make the difference in someone’s day.

• Bloom without comparison. Use this time to empower each other, support success and be kind to yourself!!! You’ve got this.

• Everyone copes in different ways. For some people this might be writing intentions everyday and for others it might be going for a run or doing more exercise related activities. It is ok to cope in different ways from your friends.

• “When life throws you a rainy day, play in all the puddles” - Winnie the Pooh. A reminder to make the most out of our time at home and do the things we enjoy.

• One of the most memorable parts of the webinar was right at the very beginning, when we were asked how we would want to remember ourselves in lock-down. It could be any way you wanted, strong, a good leader, compassionate, kind. It was all up to us. This was really thought provoking and not only relevant to the girls on the webinar but to everyone.

Here is the link for the webinar if anyone is interested in watching it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIh7XaFB7S4&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1g022l6L8CDdZ79vhaHI5Eg4pEedj-eI8oAG0fd6-6PXYhIPRkEB7F2u8

Ngā mihi,

Jen Marsh