Success Stories

Do you ever feel like you can't live up to something, that you aren't capable, or that you just aren't a leader? Well, you're wrong. Everybody is a leader of some sort. You may not be outgoing, or popular, or a good public speaker, but that's not even what leadership is about. Being a leader is taking initiative and being in control of one's own life, or what one believes in. If that involves leading a group of others, or public speaking, then so be it. The fact of the matter is that everybody has leader qualities, they just need a little shove to get them shining.

As most of you know our school sends a bunch of students to what used to be called, rapport training. Now the rights have been bought by a company called The Werklund Foundation, and the training was changed and altered to create "Empowering Minds!". For those of you who don't know, The Werklund Foundation started producing leadership training for youth around 2006, and ever since, they have been extremely successful. Our school, being a leadership school, saw this training and started working with Werklund Foundation in an attempt to start sending students to the training. Ever since, our school has sent students every year. Both my siblings had participated in the course and I could see how different they were when they came home, so I had to do the training as well. Last year I participated in the course, and my life was changed forever. Before Empowering Minds I was unconfident in myself and couldn't see the potential I had all along. Yet through Empowering Minds Training I finally saw who I was, and what I could achieve. Don't get me wrong, the training was not all fun and games; in fact, at some points, the activities were really hard for some people, and frightened the majority of the rest. Throughout the training you have to overcome your fears, you must learn to trust others whom you barely know, and do everything as you are told. The trainer's don't like slackers and they will never give you a free pass, not to mention that they yell at you continuously. There are tears of terror, tears of joy, tears from laughter, and there are tears from finally completing the training. But the end result for each participant is true growth and excellence. The amount of change Empowering Minds made to my life was unbelievable, I became closer with family, with friends, and I finally believed in myself and my talents. I will never forget the training, nor regret it.

For those of you who haven't taken this course and want to be confident in yourself, want to accomplish your goals, and want to be whom you desire to be, then your first step is to take this training. I'm not saying that it's impossible for you to achieve what you want if you don't do the training, but I am saying that Empowering Minds can push you beyond wherever you thought you could go. It will push you to realize you true potential, your character and your passions, so that we as today's youth, can lead the world of tomorrow with confidence and strength.

When I reflect on the Graduation ceremony, I think of it as life changing. We As Parents were ushered into the Graduation Room, the students standing on the perimeter of the room. I, like every other parent there was looking for my daughter. Finally I spot her; she doesn't look to much worse for wear (I can start to relax). Almost immediately after we are all seated they announce that each student is going to sing/ project the words to Oh Canada individually as a part of their last challenge. At this point all I can think is my daughter by herself is going to sing oh Canada in front of this whole room????

The singing starts, two students come out and just start belting out the words to Oh Canada .I watch as the students clap and cheer for their peers, amazed and moved, as every student completes the task. Once completed the students were invited to share with the group their feelings about this experience. Student after student got up and conveyed how amazed they were at the experience they had just had, and empowered they felt how much they appreciated their own lives and futures.

I was taken back to the days of kindergarten, when my daughter was so excited every day with the new thing that she had learned. It was very obvious that what all of these children had learned on this occasion had brought back this enthusiasm, absolutely life changing! The parent sharing session was every bit as moving, it hits home for me how much we depend on and love our children.

My daughter was voted by her peers, during this weekend, one of the two most improved people in this class. When I look at her I know that she has a whole new viewpoint on her life.

In closing, I just want to say thank you to to The werklund family, and your foundation, thank-you, you are amazing people!

Sincerely,
Grant Senchuk

When I got back home from my Empowering weekend, I reflected on what I learned. I learned to love myself and to love others around me. I learned to persevere challenges and obstacles I've been through or am yet to discover. I learned to replace my words to "I WILL" instead of "I CAN'T". But most of all, I learned to make important changes in my life that will have a positive outcome.

In a result of all of this, I was inspired to write a song about my experience at the camp called "We Were Empowered" which is now the official song of the Werklund Foundation. I am currently pursuing my music career with many opportunities and much success. I also will be attending secondary school in the year 2011.

Thank you for taking your time to read this and thank you Rapport Empowered Education and the Werklund Foundation for making such a huge impact on my life. You can listen to my song and watch my first ever music video below."

~ Melissa