You never know what side quests are on the horizon.
Bethan Wallace, a sophomore communication major, attended the 2025 Play to Lead Leadership Summit, Aug. 24 – 29, in Saskatoon, Canada, as part of her internship with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is a national organization whose main mission is to make sports accessible for all kids in Canada through financial assistance, gender and racial equity initiatives, as well as providing support to communities across the nation.
The Saskatoon Play to Lead Summit is an opportunity for high school female athletes across the region as part of their Girls in Sport initiative. The summit consisted of leadership training, certifications, panels and physical activities.
The conference brings leaders from a variety of industries to speak to students and provide mentorship and community.
Wallace is originally from Toronto, Canada, which is how she discovered the charity.
“When I was in high school, I applied to the Play to Lead Summit for their first leadership summit and was accepted to attend. I completed the leadership training and stayed in touch with their team,” said Wallace. “This summer, I was accepted to work for their team as the events intern. I had an amazing experience and am so grateful for the experience.”
This year’s summit created an opportunity for Wallace to network with professionals and address younger audiences.
“I had the opportunity to meet incredible professionals and chat about their experiences in their respective fields. I also grew in my communication skills with the athletes,” said Wallace. “I was there as a group lead meant to go through the experience with them and lend my knowledge as an alumnus on how they can best experience the program and be there for any questions or just a friendly face. I loved that aspect of the trip, and I had a great time with the girls I met.”
As a leader of the program, Wallace engaged in new professional and personal experiences. This included sharing wisdom with the students participating in the training.
“One girl I had spent a lot of time with said that I had made her feel seen during the experience, and that was my happiest achievement,” said Wallace. “I’ve grown in confidence that my leadership style of connecting with those around me results in positive experiences for them.”
Overall, the leadership conference allowed Wallace to gain communication career skills like certifications, public speaking and networking. As well as maintaining career and academic goals.
“Being chosen to give back to an organization that I’ve learned so much from and to lead a new generation in the program was so rewarding,” said Wallace. “The chance to pour into more female athletes was an opportunity that is so important to me. Lessons I learned from the panels and personal growth will continue to help me in identifying how I want to grow in my career and my academic pursuits.”