Attending the summit came at a time when I was confused and doubting my journey. Mr. Idy Enang’s session on the 3Gs — Grace, Grit, and Guts — gave me clarity and reminded me to celebrate my little wins. Dr. Abiri’s session on mental health helped me address overthinking and pressure.

YLS 2024 was a lever that propelled me to new heights on my transformative journey. It was a wake up call to focus on strengths and talents that bring maximal satisfaction and take on new opportunities with confidence.

S.M.I.L.E has been one of the best experiences of my life since the Youth Summit in August 2024. I’m deeply grateful for this lifetime opportunity and proud to be part of such a transformative program.

It isn’t an overstatement when I say there are places you will go that make you feel you’re missing out a lot from what life has to offer you. I had this feeling twice at the YLS 2023 and 2024 editions. Apart from the opportunity to network with like-minded visionary youths. I had the privilege of winning an impromptu Pith-a-thon contest which was a beautiful experience.

The summit was well organized and all the speakers delivered excellently. For me, I gained new insights and the knowledge has contributed to my mental toughness in the face of challenges.

As I sat in my seat, I was inspired to be better, charged to pursue my dreams and encouraged to take my mental health seriously. My biggest highlight was the graduation ceremony of the youths who completed S.M.I.L.E’s Executive Mentoring Program for Youth. I became determined to apply for the program myself.

YLS is that one event I look forward to every single year—it offers a unique opportunity to gain insights from speakers who generously share their stories and lessons, right from the heart. Hearing those experiences has helped shift my mindset in meaningful ways.