text: Joud – Becoming an Effective Leader
  Joud, TechGirls 2022, Jordan
  Last year was the time I started to pinpoint goals for my life. That made me shift all my priorities and efforts into shaping the path to my desired destination. One of these goals was to be as positively impactful as I could: to be a changemaker. I had ambition, but I needed to learn how to go about using it. I started to look for opportunities to grow, learn, and set an example, which is how I learned about TechGirls. I wanted to be a role model for girls like me and encourage them to pursue careers in technology.
  Fast forward to this October, I was elected as the Student Council President at my high school. It took a lot of hard work and dedication. I had to start planning even before the school year started, and ultimately, I succeeded.
  What sparked the idea of running for president was a speech I heard during the TechGirls program. The program arranged for us to meet with women who worked jobs in the government and policymaking linked to technology. This event was a great opportunity that still influences me to this day.
  “We need more women who are decision-makers now more than ever.“
  And that was about to be me.
  My whole experience as a TechGirl prepared me to be an effective leader, a decision-maker, and an impactful human.
  Now, I am a Student Council President, and I make decisions and take action to determine what is best for our student body. I lead a team of Student Council Members, and I am a better leader today because of TechGirls. TechGirls taught me to be a more reflective leader. It taught me how to guide my team to make the best possible decision and to adapt to change quickly. Working with other TechGirls helped me improve my communication skills. Now, I find it easier to discuss the needs and wants of the student body with my team, and deliver them to the school’s administration more productively.
  TechGirls supported me before, during, and post-exchange experience. The network I built during TechGirls is a head start to succeed in my professional life. I gained a solid background in my desired major that will help me stand out before going to university. The most significant, and my favorite outcome, was the life-lasting friendships I built with other TechGirls around the world. TechGirls altered how I viewed the world around me. It helped me acknowledge and enhance the leadership qualities I had in me.