We focused all our attention today on presenting our collective journey on the project we’ve committed ourselves to: “Call of the Blue”. Tomorrow, our parents and other mentors were going hear what we’ve done so far and what lay ahead in the coming months.

The apprentices were divided into two teams initially – one presented their points on what we’ve accomplished related to the project up until now, including our day-to-day activities and the learnings we’ve acquired these past couple of months; the other team was in charge of outlining the timeline for completing this undertaking, how we were going to go about doing it and the final outcomes of our efforts.

We spent the first half an hour putting our points together and lining them up neatly in a logical sequence, but it was only when it was verbally shared, that we were able to plug in some of the cracks in our delivery.

Although there were a couple of apprentices who were slightly nervous about their role in the presentation, they followed through with the support and encouragement from their peers and mentors. One of the guidelines that proved useful was to pretend that they were talking to just one person in the room who they felt comfortable with, and that they were just sharing something that the other person knew nothing about. Often, we tend to make things larger than they seem, putting ourselves through unnecessary mental torture. But we’re grateful to the people who come along and remind us every now and then that we can break things down into tiny morsels, one-step-at-a-time processes that motivate us to move forward to achieve our goals in a consistent and confident manner.

After the first rehearsal, we took a break and played the Postman game. We got so carried away with it, that with every round, our voices amplified a few notches higher until we finally had to play the game outdoors to avoid disrupting the other classes. It was a boisterous yet welcome diversion from the heaviness of our intellectual exercise.

Before we began another practice session, a couple of the mentors presented their perspectives and notes on our shared journey so that the apprentices could fill out and shape their material in ways they may have missed earlier.

Round two of our practice saw a more self-assured and organized set of presenters. We were able to present a well-rounded perspective on our venture and gather some valuable insight by way of feedback from everyone.

Upon listening to them, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration and wonder at the responsibility that these young hearts have taken upon themselves. When I was their age, I could mostly think of my next opportunity to play outdoors or get lost in books. Saving the world was – more often than not – left in the hands of grownups who had the power, skill and knowledge to carry out great tasks. I guess “grownup” has taken on a whole new meaning for me now, where leadership and inspiration can emerge from the most unexpected and underestimated beings.

But that’s the beauty of ventures like these being introduced to young souls like them – they’re shown how much light they have inside to illuminate the paths for others. Their leadership will inspire more leaders their age, not followers. Through them, I’ve come to learn that to lead, one need not have great titles and positions in this world to make a difference. All you need is a vision and an unshakeable will to follow through on your dream.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Mentor @ Apprentice Education Program