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2020 Wrap Up
It has been quite the year for us here at LEAP. It feels like just yesterday when myself, Maggie, Caitlin, and Tom hopped off a Zoom call with an idea; an idea that blossomed into LEAP Canada. As 2020 comes to a close, I want to take some time to reflect on what the year has brought us, look ahead to the holiday season, and most of all, thank you for joining us on this journey!
2020: Year in Review
The global pandemic affected everyone this year, including students. For some, it meant unknowingly going home for a 24-week March Break, virtual classes and graduation, and rescinded summer internships. For others, it meant the cancellation of campus tours and open houses, along with the lost ability to interact with current students at their prospective schools.
We identified these unprecedented challenges students were facing with the already difficult transition to post-secondary education and conducted market research to determine how best to support students. The result? Our #TuesdayTalks webinar series. We reached 38 000+ students across 35+ countries, welcoming panelists from 8+ schools and 28+ disciplines to share their words of wisdom with our audience.
We continued our efforts throughout the fall term with our mentorship program, ambassador program, and community members’ program. We partnered with Student Life Network, Prep 101, Princeton Review, and were also featured by CTV News London and Pearson Canada. It has been a rewarding year working with our passionate team of volunteers and we look forward to continuing to support our community next year!
Winter Break
The holidays are usually a great time to unwind, reconnect with family and friends, and not worry about school for two to three weeks. With COVID restrictions in place, winter break will look much different this year. You may be thinking to yourself - what am I going to do with all this free time on my hands? Here are some ideas to help you make the most of your break!
Virtually connect with friends and family. Make the extra effort to reach out and see how those around you are doing!
Get ahead on your school work. Not exactly the most appealing thing to be doing during your break, but completing some school work will make January much easier and allow you to take more time off when you need it most!
Try something new. Have you heard your friends raving about a new show on Netflix or a YouTuber’s latest fitness routine? Now you have the time on your hands to stay in the loop and experience them for yourself!
Build strong habits. No need to wait until January 1st to attempt a New Year’s Resolution that will be non-existent come February. Get into a routine at the beginning of the break when you have the time, so by the end of the break, you will enjoy your routine and be motivated to continue it even when you get busy in January. Check out Atomic Habits for tips on building good habits and breaking bad ones.
Reflect on the past year. Understanding the ups and downs of 2020 will allow you to set goals for 2021.
Thank You
For those of you who have been with us since May, thank you for supporting us in our journey to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to thrive in their transition to post-secondary education. For those reading our blog for the first time, I hope you found this post helpful and will join us in fulfilling our mission. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season and I look forward to seeing you around in 2021!