COMMENTARY: Young people don’t need to wait to become leaders

When we talk about leadership, we often imagine someone standing at the front of a room, holding a title, or reaching a level of success that makes them visible to others. But after years of working with young people, I have learned that leadership begins much earlier than that. It begins with knowing who you [...]

When we talk about leadership, we often imagine someone standing at the front of a room, holding a title, or reaching a level of success that makes them visible to others. But after years of working with young people, I have learned that leadership begins much earlier than that. It begins with knowing who you are.

This winter, I had the opportunity to bring The I Am Experience to students across Prince Edward Island through a partnership supported by the National Arts Centre. The program uses music, storytelling and conversation to help students explore identity, confidence and the qualities that make them unique. The most important message I share with students is simple: leadership is not something they have to wait for.

Power of community They do not need to become adults, earn a title, or achieve a certain level of success before their voices matter. Leadership can be found in how they treat others, how they overcome challenges, how they support their communities, and how they choose to show up every day. Growing up in North Preston, N.S., I was surrounded by the power of community.

Mentorship, encouragement, and accountability were not always formal programs — they were passed down through relationships. People invested in one another because they understood that helping young people recognize their potential benefits everyone. That belief has shaped my work as an artist,