Leadership Skills and the Young Generation of Social Responsibility
Amber Bley, an Insurance Advisor with Western Financial Group, in South Lethbridge, has a really remarkable daughter.
During the 2019 school year, 7-year-old Isabella formed the Leadership Club at Galbraith Elementary School, with the motto: Help Yourself. Help your school. Help your community.
Many of the Club's initiatives were planned during their weekly lunches on Wednesdays. Some initiatives included assisting with schools’ assemblies, kindergarten classes, and thanking teachers and volunteers for their hard work.
Isabella said making gifts for the YMCA's residents was her favorite memory with this club and mentioned how she got to hangout and talk and learn about why the women who were getting these gifts were there.
While Isabella has moved onto middle school, she still works with Grade 5 students at her old elementary school. It was her hope to have a Leadership Retreat in 2021, and she was looking for community support. However, Covid-19 didn't allow for this to happen.
Isabella's story was heard at the Western Financial Group branch in Lethbridge and they wanted to help her in her initiatives.
Because Isabella was not able to plan the retreat this year, Isabella shifted to creating an award to recognize a student who demonstrated exemplary leadership and resilience over the 2020/2021 school year; Isabella eagerly anticipates hearing who has been chosen to present with the award. Teachers at the school will select a Grade 5 student for this award based on her criteria.
It was Amber Bley who said that, without Western's help, the award could not have been created. Western hopes to continue working with the Leadership Club once all the restrictions have been lifted to create better opportunities for tomorrow's leaders.
Amber said that: “She makes me super proud and she is a pretty amazing empathetic little girl. She’s probably taught me more about kindness than anyone and it blows my mind because it’s something that I’m supposed to be teaching her; Sometimes I feel like it’s the other way around. She’s going to change the world for somebody.”
Isabella is an energetic, hard-working, and determined girl, who hopes next year to organize a Leadership Retreat for the Grade 5 class. When she grows up, Isabella hopes to become a pharmacist so that she can help people.
