Where do I even begin - the Winter School in Nice is a week that I will cherish forever. The friendships created, the knowledge acquired and the journey of self-development are all experiences that have truely impacted me. Firstly the panel discussions and guest speakers left me with an abundance of new knowledge and new perspectives. On the first day we were given a notebook and by the end of the week I had it filled with snippets of insights I had noted down from the guest speakers. The calibre of speakers was inspiring, each one was so incredibly influential to shaping the EU in their own ways. The week also allowed me to understand the power that I have as a young woman to make a real difference. Previously I often doubted myself and my abilities but the Winter School helped me to erase these doubts and to start building my confidence. For example, I am quite introverted and I always thought of that as a weakness of mine but I learned to love that part of myself and to realise that it is in fact one of my strengths. Finally, the most important part of the week to me was being able to spend it with the 27 other girls. What an incredibly inspring group of women. To leave Nice with 27 new friends all across Europe is so special but also to have this network of women, a sisterhood, that is supporting each other in all our future ventures is something I feel very lucky to have. I can't recommend enough for everyone reading this to apply to any upcoming Winter and Summer Schools, it is an experience that really is once in a lifetime. Thank you to everyone in the European Leadership Academy for a week that has really changed my life.