There are numerous examples I am fortunate to have, allow me to share my favorite one. I have been a program director and chess instructor with the Checkmate Foundation since 2022, teaching chess and providing opportunities for Calgary’s youth to connect over a shared love of the game. Chess is a fascinating medium to build connections with; the game transcends language barriers and reduces complexities in communication. Through hosting events such as summer camps, classes, and tournaments, I can foster a sense of shared community in newcomers to Calgary.

Through running these events, we also develop leadership competencies in our volunteer team. I mentor my volunteers and demonstrate how to communicate in situations where language barriers exist, ways to adapt lessons based on a child’s individual circumstances, and what transferable skills chess can teach youth as they encounter challenges in school and beyond.

The interpersonal connections I form with my students, parents, and volunteers support an open air of feedback, such that I am able to improve my events based on their input. Through the connections I have formed, I have learned that mentorship is always a two-way street of simultaneously giving and receiving. The power of connection allows us to build trust and a comfortable environment for feedback to be exchanged. As a result of seeking and implementing input from many stakeholders, my events continue to bring in hundreds of chess learners every year, and the community is ever expanding.

Forming meaningful connections lies at the intersection between all of the roles I have. This past semester, I helped deliver a graduate course in healthcare leadership. In that course, we discuss the LEADS framework for healthcare institutions. LEADS is an acronym for ‘Lead Self, Engage Others, Achieve Results, Develop Coalitions, and Systems Transformation’. Within this framework, connection applies significantly to the pillars of Engaging Others and Developing Coalitions.

In my future work, connection will be my springboard for tackling complex problems in healthcare. Engaging others focuses largely on the interpersonal nature of teamwork, find ways to connect with others and leverage common beliefs and strengths to further an organization’s vision. Between organizations, developing coalitions involves bridging organizations of similar values together, and discovering how unique perspectives can address inequalities.

For me personally, coming from a background enriched in research and healthcare leadership, I intend to work in fields that I use an evidence-based approach to advocate for enriched healthcare service access for all Albertans. Generating knowledge is important, but creating change through that knowledge is the ultimate goal of research.

Unified advocacy is needed now more than ever. As funding for our public services in Alberta shrinks with every year, it is critical to send a collective message to our representatives. Meaningful, real, human connections are the foundation of making sustainable change for our future.