Olivia Woods – Contributor 

When I first came to Bishop’s, I never could have imagined that in my last year, I would be attending the United Nations in New York City. On Mar. 9, I had the privilege of attending the 70th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) as a delegate with the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW), an organization founded in 1919 that has spent over 105 years striving for educational and economic equality and social justice through continuous learning and empowerment. Being part of a delegation at the UN was an incredible experience, but more importantly, it was a wake-up call. It showed me that global change does not start at the global level; it starts with local involvement and community action. 

Image courtesy of Olivia Woods

Throughout the week, I attended over twenty sessions that highlighted a wide range of topics, including youth involvement, sexual violence prevention in Canada, women’s rights and access to education in Afghanistan. Listening to speakers from around the world discuss these issues made one thing very clear: the issues being discussed at the United Nations are also happening right here in our own communities. Organizations like CFUW prove that organized, local action is what fuels global change. 

Reflecting on my experience, there were a few key takeaways that I think are especially important. The first is that your voice is needed more than ever. Many of the conversations at the UN focused on the importance of youth involvement and participation in decision-making spaces. Too often, young people feel like they need more experience or more time before they can speak up or get involved. But the reality is that change happens when people decide to participate, not when they decide they are finally qualified enough.  

Furthermore, stop waiting until you feel qualified. One of the most frequent questions I get asked about the different areas I’ve been involved in is how to deal with imposter syndrome, the idea that you are underqualified. I was nervous about attending the United Nations, but I realized that everyone brings different experiences and perspectives. You are not unqualified because your journey looks different from someone else’s. Your ideas are valuable right now, not just after graduation or after you have a certain title. Imposter syndrome isn’t real!  

This reemphasized for me that the best thing I have done at Bishop’s is to get involved. Your future does not start after graduation; it started the second you walked onto campus. There are endless reasons why you might not want to try something new; it might be outside your comfort zone, time-consuming, or intimidating. But time is going to pass anyway, and your passions are too important not to act on. 

Bishop’s offers so many opportunities for students to get involved, whether that is through clubs, volunteering in the community, attending events, applying for funding opportunities or connecting with national organizations. If I had not leaned into the support from the Bishop’s community and gotten involved at a local level, I never would have had the opportunity to learn and advocate on a global scale. 

One of the things students love most about Bishop’s is the sense of community. To me, loving the community you are a part of means helping it grow. The world is waiting for your perspective, so don’t wait to share it! Find your group, find your cause, and use the support around you to act. You are already more than qualified. To learn more about CFUW or to find a club near you: https://www.cfuw.org/