If you want something badly, you have to go after it; live for today because tomorrow is not here yet; always go with your heart; don’t take no for an answer; do everything with passion…

These inspirational lines represent a snapshot of the important pieces of advice offered by the inaugural recipients of Trent’s Community Leadership Awards to a group of 49 students from St. Peter’s Secondary School gathered at Trent University on October 22.

On hand at the event to offer their advice on how to overcome life’s challenges, were: Wally Macht, winner in the arts and entertainment category; Chief Keith Knott, winner in the civic and community leadership category; Dave Armstrong, representative of the Armstrong Family, winners in the agriculture, business and industry category; and Dr. Jenny Ingram, winner in the medicine, science and technology category. Dr. Brian Desbiens, winner in the education and literature category, participated in the discussion via video.

“These community leaders truly exemplify excellence and we wanted to share with local high school students what it was that made these people such incredible leaders,” explained Shirlanne Pawley-Boyd, senior advancement director at Trent and coordinator of the Community Leadership Awards program.

Each leader had the opportunity to address the group of students, to speak about a challenge they encountered in their youth, and discuss how they overcame it to go on to become the person they are today.

For Wally Macht, the biggest challenge he encountered was making his dream of becoming a television broadcaster a reality. “It took me nine years and one month to achieve it,” he said, explaining how he had to start as a salesperson and work his way up the ranks. Speaking directly to the students, he said, “If you have dedication and perseverance, you can get anything you want – just go for it.”

Encountering many significant challenges as an Aboriginal youth, Chief Keith Knott was able to overcome them all to achieve his goal of being a leader in his own community. Sharing his advice with the students, he said, “As life goes on, we are challenged every day. We must pick up our feet and walk forward – we must never look back.”

Making an impact through video, Dr. Brian Desbiens told a story about how he was initially denied entry to his Ph.D. program but refusing to take no for an answer, he fought hard and eventually got in. Today, Dr. Desbiens is renowned for his leadership in the field of education.

According to Dave Armstrong, your heart can offer you the answer for overcoming life’s challenges. “You have challenges everyday, challenges never end. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and go with your heart,” he said.

Dr. Jenny Ingram talked about life’s challenges in the context of a road trip, filled with speed bumps, wrong turns and uncharted travel plans. According to Dr. Ingram, be able to adapt to these sometimes unexpected changes in life is they key to success. “Speed bumps allow you to break the mould. They allow you to be creative and to make your own path,” she said. “And, for me, the unexpected turns have enhanced my life dramatically.”

After the panel presentations, students had an opportunity get involved in the discussion through a question and answer period and a small group discussion, in which they had to answer the question – What can your generation do to improve your community?

Volunteering and environmental efforts were high on everyone's list. Support for local businesses, coaching and mentoring young children, working with seniors and getting involved in municipal politics were also discussed.

“I think the students very much enjoyed the presentations by the speakers and appreciated the broad range of abilities on the part of the panelists. They enjoyed the words of encouragement that anything is possible and they really liked it when the panelists went around speaking to them during the discussion,” said Bernadette Peters, the teacher who helped organize the event. “Allowing high school students to participate in similar forums encourages students to plan ahead and to see what is available. I like to encourage students to see Trent as an excellent resource and to become aware of its programs.”

For more information about the Community Leadership Awards program, visit the website.