More than a dozen high school students have celebrated their graduation from the She Leads: A Real World Readiness Programme.

Thirteen female students from Bermuda High School, CedarBridge Academy, The Berkeley Institute, Mount Saint Agnes, Warwick Academy and the American Templeton Academy took part in the programme, focused on how they can create meaningful, happy and successful careers.

She Leads was created by Christie Hunter Arscott, a BHS alumna and award-winning adviser, speaker and author.

The programme was created as an extension to the “I Lead” Leadership Framework, launched by BHS in 2019 to deliver the leadership framework beyond students at BHS.

A spokeswoman said: “The weeklong series of workshops and speakers is designed to cater to girls’ learning styles and is focused on empowering, inspiring and connecting participants while teaching them the tools to navigate the challenges of the real world.”

Zamora Talbot, a CedarBridge student who took part in the programme, said the experience was amazing and urged other young women to take part in it next summer.

“I came here because it felt like a chance to make my own opportunities, and that was one of the lessons we learnt,” she said.

“This opportunity was presented to me at the right time. Women need to feel empowered.”

Shirley Kelly, a She Leads facilitator, added that she was proud of the “small but wonderful” class of young women who took part in the programme this year.

“They were fully engaged in every session and were supportive of each other,” she said. “I dare think that several new foundations for friendship with each other and mentoring with the facilitators were laid.

“It was a great pleasure working with these young women, and I am as always greatly indebted for the time and support of all our community partners.”

This year’s programme featured a range of workshops with invited speakers including Danielle Paynter, founder of the Nab App, Isabella Artuzo, director of corporate affairs at Bacardi Ltd, and Delight Morris, founder of the Orange Bay Company,

Kaitelyn Smith, a Berkeley Institute student, said: “Danielle Paynter taught us that being picky about who you spend your time on is not rude, it’s self-respect.

“That really resonated with me, and it’s a lesson I plan to integrate into my life.”

Annika Henderson, a BHS student, added: “We learnt about networking and how important it is to make a really good first impression on people.”

Judy Doidge, of HSBC, executive sponsor of the programme, said the bank is proud to have supported the programme since its inception in 2019.

“The impact of nurturing the development and prosperity of young women not only enhances our community's fabric but also fosters a more equitable future for all,” she said.

“We believe supporting local initiatives such as She Leads that address social, economic and gender disparities are fundamental in fostering positive transformations that cultivate opportunities for participants' personal growth.”