Teodora Kolak

Student. Represented Croatia at the 2024 Summer School in Warsaw

I remember the first time I saw a post about the European Leadership Academy. Its bright colors and positive energy drew me to their website, where I was impressed by the diversity, quality speakers, and amazing testimonials. Excited, I applied for their summer school twice and finally got accepted on my third try (or as we say in Croatian, "treća sreća"), representing Croatia in Warsaw! It turned out to be one of the most dynamic, positive, and stylish weeks of my life. It was so much better than I had imagined. The organizing team was top-notch, and everyone was so impressed with the quality of the program. Every day was filled with a variety of activities, each with a different theme that helped us develop specific leadership skills. I especially enjoyed working on our team project throughout the week, as we received personalized feedback and learned to be more effective and uplifting. I am incredibly grateful to you all—thank you for creating such a lovely, supportive community that encourages growth and innovation! To anyone considering applying to the program: 1. Please do apply—and if you don't get accepted the first time, try again. Don't regret not trying to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It might enrich your life; you will meet many inspiring people (and make friends from all around Europe), learn new things, and perhaps come up with innovative ideas. 2. If you don't have a STEM background, please don't get discouraged. The program unites young leaders with diverse expertise. Bring your unique strengths and shine—teams with different backgrounds that may not seem to match can turn out to be surprisingly efficient and creative. Also, you will learn more about recent technological developments, and you can give your unique perspective. 3. Don't be afraid of failure. Everything can be a learning opportunity. One of the best lessons from school was to be genuinely curious: don’t be afraid to ask questions and be ready to engage. Another lesson is to support one another, lets create positive future together 😁