Grateful to Be in the Room: Reflections on My First Women Leading Ed Summit

As a first-time attendee at the WLE Summit, I don’t take this moment lightly. Spaces like this don’t just happen. They are built intentionally, with purpose, and with a deep belief in the power of women leading systems-level change.

We’ll kick off with a keynote by Annie Duke, followed by a session on The Art of Negotiation. The pre-reads have already started to shape my thinking. One idea that has stayed with me is how leadership, like poker, often requires making decisions with incomplete information, assessing risk, trusting your instincts, and committing with confidence.

That resonates.

In education, we make decisions every day about how to best serve students and support schools, often without perfect information. I’m looking forward to learning how to lead with more clarity and confidence in those moments.

Beyond the sessions, I am excited about the people.

Because if there is one theme that came through clearly in the pre-work, and in the spirit of this summit, it is that what ultimately matters most are the connections we build and the impact we have on others. As one reading beautifully put it, “what remains are the bonds, the shared moments, and the light we spread.” That feels especially true in the collective work of educating students.

At the heart of it, this experience connects directly to why I do this work. At Catapult, our mission is to create brighter futures for students, especially those facing the greatest barriers. Being here reinforces that purpose and challenges me to think even bigger about how we serve students and support schools.

Over the next few days, I am eager to listen, to learn from leaders whose paths and perspectives differ from my own, and to build relationships that extend far beyond this summit.

I’m coming in with intention, to lean in, to grow, and to challenge myself. So, before it all begins, I am holding onto a few simple commitments:

• To be present
• To be curious
• To be bold in my learning

And most of all, to be grateful.

Because being in this room, at this moment, with leaders who are shaping the future of education, is both a privilege and an opportunity I do not take for granted.

Here’s to learning, connecting, and leading forward, together.