Inspiring Boldness: Leymah Gbowee

SDAB President Banou Nazemi ’22 writes on the extraordinary pleasure of hearing from Marymount’s “Inspiring Boldness” speaker, Leymah Gbowee.

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Banou Nazemi '22, Staff Writer

Awestruck. I stood there with my eyes wide, entranced by the powerful figure before me. Confidence, grace, strength. This was someone who had important things to say. As Leymah Gbowee stood in front of the crowd, I saw not only who she is or what she has done, but what she is giving to our world. I saw Leymah as someone to model my own behavior after, someone that paved the way for thousands of women, and all people, to follow in her footsteps, someone who inspires those all around her. I sat there listening to the trials of her past as she detailed how these struggles pushed her to become the person she is today. Living through a war, abuse, unjust treatment, Leymah knew that she had only herself to count on, only herself to ensure changes were made. The more she spoke, the more my view of her began to develop; I first saw her as an accomplished and intelligent woman, regularly rubbing elbows with the leaders of our world and valuing education greatly. But as she continued, a softer side emerged, as a mother, daughter, sister, she understood that the challenges of one’s own life sometimes seem too great, leaving little room for impacting the whole world. Yet, she made the room. Leymah used the roles she played in all aspects of life to motivate, educate, and alter our global community. At the end of her speech, I was now looking at a leader filled with love, confidence, resilience—a true force to be reckoned with.

The boldness she has carried with her throughout life has inspired our Marymount community to go out into the world as leaders for progress and change. Leymah taught us each how to do this, even bringing up a student next to her and showing her the strength

she always had within herself. As she embraced this young girl and led her in affirmations, she spoke to us all, imploring each and every person in the room to stand up for what they believe in, to be bold. It didn’t matter if failure was the most likely outcome or if terror froze you in time, we had to push through these barriers in order to find the power within ourselves and help the world. She detailed the steps we all needed to take to achieve this goal: never be afraid to start, never lose your voice, never allow yourself to be silenced. Leymah inspired boldness across the community not only through her words but also through her actions. We sat there, soaking in every last syllable, almost hypnotized as she told us of how she used her boldness in her life. Every jaw was on the floor upon hearing of how she held the Prime Minister of Canada to her schedule and plan. Her words, actions, thoughts, and entire presence have inspired this community to carry even just a fraction of her boldness with them as they go out into the world.

 

Leymah taught me to believe in myself. There will always be critics, those who say my goals are unattainable. But Leymah showed me how to bet on myself and make my own waves, allowing the ripples to cause a disruption to the status quo. Being able to meet her in person, listen to her words, see the passion on her face as she spoke about each topic has deeply motivated me to strive to incorporate more of her character within myself. Never before had I met someone with such sheer determination and presence. I was simply blown away. I know that the wisdom imparted on us by Leymah will never leave my side and always serve me well in my life. She has made a large, lasting impact on my perspective of the world and what I can do in it.