My high school deputy principal always told us to “remember our stories.”
“Stories” was a term she used to describe our why.
Our why for joining high school.
Our why for wanting to score the grades we dreamed of.
And our why for the lives we chose.
Over the past few months, I’ve been reminded to remember my why for community building.
My why for the applications I sent, and my why for even getting started.
Leading AWS SBG UoE: Through the Lens of a Lead
We finally launched the AWS University of Eldoret Student Builders Group, and while the event was successful, I couldn’t help but think about the calls I had with my co-lead, telling him I felt behind.
We were two months into the program and hadn’t even had an event, while other leads were already on their third or fourth events.
But then again, other SBGs may have had different academic calendars than ours.
Lesson 1: Work With Your Own Timeline
During the first two months of the Student Builders Group program, our SBG had no fancy events. As a matter of fact, we had no event at all.
The reason? We were on a long holiday, and mobilising students proved to be a challenge.
Now, I know what you’ll say: But there are virtual options.
Yes, there are virtual options. But when university students are on break, they rarely check school channels unless it’s for transcripts or to check opening dates. 😭
So, during our first two months of “silence,” we were actually working behind the scenes.
My co-lead and I spent the first month recruiting the core team.
“Do a call for volunteers. Don’t rely on friendship.”
That was advice I received from a community builder I look up to, and I took it seriously. I spent that first month talking to different community builders and learning from their experiences.
The second month was spent on alignment meetings with the core team.Alignment on our values and mission, but also on the events we planned to hold.
Looking back, those two months weren’t wasted. They were part of our timeline.
You don’t have to build at someone else’s pace.
Lesson 2: Understand Your Community
Being part of founding committees has always been a humbling experience for me because you often get to learn from your mistakes.
With AWS, understanding my community meant knowing the students we were targeting and where they were (and are) in their tech journey.
It also meant trading flashy announcement posters for core-team alignment meetings. It meant postponing our launch until school was back in session and learners were more likely to engage with a new club.
Sometimes, building a community means resisting the urge to look like you’re building a community.
You have to take the time to understand the people you’re actually building for.
To the future leader: take time to understand the people you serve.
Lesson 3: Give Grace, Both to Yourself and to Others
Anyone who has planned events can attest that things can quickly spiral out of hand, especially when tasks aren’t moving.
With AWS, it was my first time leading from the front.
I’ve led communities before, but usually from positions like vice chair or other supporting roles. This time, I was the person people reported to.
And honestly, I’m still learning.
I’ve learnt to give myself grace, especially in moments when I didn’t have all the answers for my team.
I’ve also learnt to give my team grace.
At the end of the day, we are human.
And to me, more than being a lead, my community is a family.
No, I’m still learning.
But these are some of the lessons I’ve gathered thus far.
Maybe one of these resonates with you. Maybe you’ve learnt something completely different from your own community-building journey.
What’s one lesson community building has taught you?
And, of course, remember your story. 🌱
