We are excited to announce that Tanisha Misra has been selected by Minerva’s Youth Advisory Council as this year’s recipient of the Youth Leadership Award for her exemplary application of the leadership lessons of the Learning to Lead™ program. Tanisha will receive a certificate and a $1000 bursary to support her education.
Since completing the program, Tanisha has led an initiative to bring free menstrual products into her school district and founded the Educate&Empower Fundraising Campaign to help keep youth in school during the pandemic. Keep on reading to learn more about Tanisha and her leadership journey!
Bio:
Tanisha Misra is currently a grade 12 student attending North Delta Secondary. Tanisha is a driven and inclined youth and female advocate and is passionate about STEM. She was elected the 2019-2020 student council President, is a member of the Delta Youth Advisory Council, and mentors local elementary school students. She also helped organize a conference on student success, transitions into and out of high school, vaping and mental health for youth all across the lower mainland, and co-authored a report summarizing the event in the BC Principals’ & Vice-Principals’ Association’s magazine. Tanisha is a visible leader who strives to make her community a better place and hopes to become a pharmacist or a neurosurgeon.
How did you first learn about Minerva?
I first learned about Minerva through one of my friends, a Learning to Lead™ alumna. After hearing about how instrumental Minerva’s unique program was to my friend’s leadership journey, I was immediately inspired to learn more about the program. To my humble surprise, my school’s administration nominated me for Learning to Lead™ 2020. I continued my involvement with the foundation and participated in Minerva’s Executive Days program as well.
Why did you decide to start Educate&Empower?
Participating in Learning to Lead™ awakened the leadership potential hiding deep within me. Within a few days of completing Learning to Lead™, I became aware that one out of five school-aged children were out of school. Realizing that the COVID-19 pandemic will deteriorate this statistic, I leaped into action using the confidence I gained from the program and established Educate&Empower. Since childhood, education has always held a special place in my heart because it empowered my dreams. It was overwhelming to learn that so many children around the world are deprived of the fundamental learning experiences we sometimes take for granted. My value of selfless service combined with the inspiration I gained from my fellow alumni and awe-inspiring mentors propelled me towards utilizing my leadership capabilities to improve the quality of life of children everywhere.
What does this receiving this award mean to you?
I am extremely grateful and excited to be selected for this year’s Youth Leadership Award and I would like to thank the entire team at Minerva from the bottom of my heart. This award gave me the honour of being considered alongside a community of hardworking and empowering female leaders. I feel inspired to continue my leadership journey with even stronger dedication and create an even bigger difference in the community.
Congratulations, Tanisha! We are so proud to have been a part of your leadership journey.
