08/29/2025
Ponder these observations from the students during their graduation speeches:
• “for me listening is not just a skill, that it's an act of care it's a way to let people know that they matter that their voices are valuable and that they deserve to be heard”
• “their mission is simple yet but powerful to help everyone who is in need…. what truly amazes me is the care with which they do it”
• “I learned something really greater, like the power of kindness, acceptance and something you know really transforming. What touched [me] the most here it was how people care about you, how they treat you, and it's not something fake.”
• “work was supposed to be just work, routine tasks and some difficulties, deadlines, but I found trust, lots of joy and moments of pure fun that made the business day easier.”
• “sometimes the absence of something makes you notice it even more clearly”
• “amazingly I found people who put hope into my heart”
• “leadership is as simple as showing patience, offering kindness, or including someone in your family life
• “I am a different person after these four weeks; definitely I've learned that courage can be small like coming to work even when I felt unwell, finishing tasks I didn't want to do, or showing up on the last day when everything was overwhelming”
• “I've also learned that leadership is not about titles or authority; it's about serving others humbly and consistently.”
• “my biggest take-away from this experience is that servant leadership is not automatic just because an organization is a nonprofit; it doesn't mean it automatically lives by those values. Servant leadership takes intention, humility and love.”
• “I like everything in this company especially people.”
• “these people they live by their values.”
• “they care about each other they are willing to help each other and I really like that ”
• “the biggest take-away is about sense of community here because I would like to have this one in Kazakhstan too.”
