Seven Upper School students attended The Empathy Equality Entrepreneurship Mission (TEEEM) Fifth Annual Leadership Symposium on October 23 at Montclair State University. Joined by Mrs. Nicole Nolan, W+H Director of Global Programs and Community Outreach, students Natalie Chen ’26, Chiara Baldi ’26, Nitya Sahni ’26, Simran Ahuja ’26, Coco Lee ’27, Aava Joshi ’27 and Victoria Diaz ’27 were among 300 attendees exploring the theme of Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Changemakers. W+H alumnus Fernando Ramirez ’77, who has collaborated with W+H students on various initiatives and visited campus to share his expertise during the past few years, also attended the symposium.
TEEEM is a local nonprofit that teaches students about global issues, humanitarianism and leadership through education in action. Its mission is to create a better, kinder world through its three Es: Empathy, Equity and (Social) Entrepreneurism.
The symposium began with a breakfast and welcome with updates, and included three breakout sessions, lunch and a donation ceremony in the afternoon. Three W+H students – Natalie, Chiara and Nitya – are serving as TEEEM Student Ambassadors.
"Having attended the Leadership Symposium last year, I found it a refreshing and reflective experience to lead as a Student Ambassador. This Leadership Symposium allowed me to hear from other changemakers around the world about their journeys and how they initiated their mission. Learning about their stories can inspire me to create change myself,” Natalie said.
Natalie particularly enjoyed a special moment at the donation ceremony: “At the end of every Leadership Symposium, TEEEM has a grand donation ceremony. I was presented with the opportunity to showcase TEEEM's donation to Bridges 2030, Mr. Fernando Ramirez's nonprofit organization! It was truly a full-circle moment for me, especially because Mr. Ramirez was the initial reason I joined GSP and discovered TEEEM. The memories from this conference will lead my actions, as I continue to lead with empathy and engage with TEEEM.”
"I am so grateful to have been able to represent both Wardlaw+Hartridge and TEEEM at the TEEEM Leadership Symposium,” said Nitya, who served as a student ambassador in the social media and marketing subcommittee and enjoyed the opportunity to film a 'Come With Me' video to promote the accomplishments of the day. “Filming this was a fun and new experience for me to create content for the official social media pages. I was nervous to lead the sessions because it was my first time at the symposium, but my nerves were quickly replaced with inspiration from listening to the incredible Site Leaders share their stories and accomplishments. The Student Ambassadors also took a Global Competence Aptitude Assessment, which opened my eyes to how much there really is to know in order to assess my global readiness. I made new friends, bonded with old ones and connected with so many new people.”