Getting to the Table

Michelle Musindo, Girls on Boards Young Director and recipient of the 7-Eleven Scholarship to Girls on Boards

There are not many spaces for young people to access leadership roles, training and support early in their careers. There are even fewer spaces for young Black people, to share their ideas, thoughts, lived experiences and stories. Becoming a board member was both exciting and scary, but it’s also allowed me to think critically about what leadership looks like. It takes a lot for many of us to get a seat at the table, to be in decision-making roles and spaces. It also takes a lot for many of us to stay in spaces that don’t reflect our lived experiences.

Since I’ve become a G(irls) 20 Young Director and a newly elected board member, I’ve had multiple conversations about what it means to be part of a board. Most young people don’t know how to access these spaces or even what power these spaces hold. They seem invisible and inaccessible. Knowing that organizations across Canada are taking the step to include young people’s voices on their boards is really great and promising! Organizations should continue to work towards making these spaces open, accessible and inclusive. This means more than just electing young people but making the space for young people to feel like their voices will be heard.

In my first three months as a board member (at Canada-Mathare Trust), an organization that operates as a working board, I’ve learnt a lot. There is a lot of responsibility in becoming a board member, you have the duty to make sound decisions and judgements on behalf of an organization. That’s powerful. As part of a working board, I am able to actively participate in the month-to-month activities of the organization, from supporting policies and procedures to participating in programming. I’m excited about the various professional development opportunities but also for the personal growth that comes with such responsibility.

My journey in getting to the table has just begun and becoming a Young Director is one of the many steps towards learning more about community, responsibility and leadership. Sometimes it feels like you’re on a never-ending staircase and when you do get to the table, your imposter syndrome kicks in. I think it is important to remind ourselves and young people around us that our ideas, thoughts and lived experiences are valid.

Getting to the table looks and feels different for everyone, however, if we want more young leaders (and we do!) we need to make the tables bigger and open the doors more often, and not just listen to young people but hear them as well. Boards are powerful tools of governance. More young people need to sit on boards. More young people need to be in decision-making spaces. We should work to invest in young people, not just because they are future leaders but because our decisions impact their lives right now.

By: Michelle Musindo, Girls on Boards Young Director and recipient of the 7-Eleven Scholarship for Girls on Boards