#WorldSkillsDay - Learning to take up space

Growing up, I often felt like I was navigating the world with a map that everyone else seemed to have except me. Social situations felt exhausting, making friends seemed impossible, and speaking up about what I wanted or thought felt terrifying. For a long time, I believed I would always be “the girl who stayed quiet, stayed hidden, and stayed on the sidelines.”

Things began to change when I started understanding myself better. But understanding myself was only part of the journey. The other part was learning how to navigate a world that wasn't always built with people like me in mind. 

Through the Girl Activist Fellowship, I found a space to practice skills that had always felt out of reach. I learned how to share my thoughts, participate in discussions, and speak about issues that mattered to me. None of it came naturally. Most of the time, I was nervous. Sometimes I still am.

But the fellowship taught me something important: skills aren't only about what you're naturally good at. They're also about what you're willing to keep trying for, even when it's uncomfortable.

Little by little, I became more confident in expressing myself. I learned how to advocate for my ideas, communicate with others, and contribute to conversations without feeling like I had to become a completely different person. I began to understand that confidence isn't the absence of fear. It's choosing to speak anyway.

The skills I gained didn't magically change who I am. I'm still the person who gets overwhelmed by social situations or overthinks conversations long after they’ve happened. But I’m also someone who wants to talk about my passions, challenge systems and contribute to change, and stand up to share an idea, even when my voice sounds a little shaky while doing it.

For a long time, I thought these versions of myself were separate people. Now I know they're not. They're all me. 

One of the most valuable things I've learned is that growth doesn't always mean becoming someone new. Sometimes it means learning to accept yourself while building the skills you need to thrive. This World Skills Day, I hope other young people know that there isn't only one way to learn, lead, communicate, or succeed. We are all different, and that's not something to overcome; it's something to understand. The skills that have helped me most haven’t been about changing who I am; they’ve been about helping me recognize that who I am already has value.