By Olivia Walker, Class of 2026
This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.
Last year I learned that finding meaning in my work can go beyond the project itself. When faced with adversity, I found that the impact of my year-long design project was actually within my teammates.
In fall of 2023, I became part of a team who partnered with Idaho Conservation Corps to support them in fulfilling the requirements of their grant to improve urban and community forestry. I’ve always been passionate about conservation and creating change in the environment, so I came into this team with my heart in it. And so did the rest of my team. We spent months together dedicating ourselves to making an impact, rigorously pulling together research, having heartfelt discussions about our project, checking in with our partner. The culture our team built was one of support and consideration. We had big ideas, and planned for them to be supported with the funds of the grant. After seven months of thoughtful, human-centered ideation, we had a final idea for our implementation and set up a meeting to share our final project with our partner. My expectations were set high for how our partner could support our idea.
When we finally had our anticipated meeting, we discovered that the Idaho Conservation Corps did not have the funding resources that we expected, and our solution could not be implemented. I felt crushed. The team was lost in how to move forward with our project, and feared that our project had been a waste. So we took a step back from our partner, and our project, and looked at all the time we had spent together. The research, thoughtfulness, ideation, and soul we had put into understanding this project completely reshaped my view of partnership and collaboration. This team has changed me, not because of the impact of the project itself, but because of the impact each of my teammates had on one another. Throughout this entire project, every member of my team was invested. We each rose to the occasion and supported one another through the trials and triumphs of our time together. We each showed up to support the team where our strengths would lie, and maintained an “all in” mindset. With the attitude we had toward this project, and this team, we created a culture that felt like a family. I understood then that our team was bigger than the outcome of our project. Knowing the importance of our story, we decided to present on the stage of the Morrison Center at Disruption Night that spring.
Many times before I’ve presented my work and ideas in front of crowds, but this time was different. We were presenting who we were, the mindsets we gained, and were vulnerable in sharing our failures. Finally for what felt like the first time in our project, we felt empowered, and that our efforts were known. I felt the reality of working with others and understood the importance of letting yourself be seen, putting your heart into your work, and making the most of a situation. It’s easy when pushing to meet deadlines to get caught up in the work and leave your team behind, but in the end, what comes before the project itself is unity within the team. I walked off that stage full of pride for my work, our efforts, and the family we created.
Falling in love with this team, made me fall in love with the possibilities that are found within trusting others. My approach to teamwork and leadership has completely shifted, I see teams as a holistic investment where every voice is valued. Leading doesn’t mean controlling a group, it means bringing everyone together with a drive to achieve a shared vision, and playing into every member's strengths. My appreciation for this team is never ending, and I will carry this experience with me into each collaborative setting I encounter.
