It may sound cliché, but the best part of the European Leadership Academy were the caring and passionate people who contributed to it, I was truly inspired by the participants’ diverse academic backgrounds and personal stories. As someone who did her Bachelor’s in the social sciences and only recently ventured into STEM, seeing so many young women excelling in science and technology was simultaneously inspiring and motivating. Three weeks after the end of the European Leadership Academy, I now feel the most confident and passionate that I have ever been about my choice to venture into epidemiology and the biomedical sciences, not in spite of, but in addition to my previously mostly humanities-focused educational path. Importantly, the program was completely free of charge— from the flights and accommodation to the substantive workshops and cultural visits. As an ambitious young woman whose family has always struggled financially, the European Leadership academy was a dream come true in many ways, and I would really encourage any and all aspiring young European women leaders to apply! I am looking forward to seeing the different paths that all of us will embark on and am truly grateful for all the friends and connections that I made.