Rising stars: Schoolgirls shine bright at Celebration Event

The SistersIN Leadership Programme has a clear mission; to empower and cultivate female students into future leaders. This programme spans over eight months, providing sixth-form girls with a transformative journey. It focuses on building confidence, expanding career horizons, offering leadership training, and providing mentorship opportunities facilitated by local female business leaders.

This year’s event emphasised to the female pupils the importance of networking. The day commenced with a partner breakfast attended by a number of organisations, including KPMG, Translink and Concentrix. This provided the pupils with a unique opportunity to engage directly with local female leaders, promoting invaluable connections and insights into various professional fields.

The partner’s breakfast was catered by Hospitality Belfast and included addresses from Chief Executive of ICC Belfast, Julia Corkey, and Founder of SistersIN and Assumption Grammar School principal Peter Dobbin. Peter spoke of his global ambition for the programme, expressing gratitude for the invaluable support extended by the female leaders in attendance.

Two lead pupils, Zara Flanagan from Our Lady’s Grammar School, Newry and Romy Maguire from Glenlola Collegiate Girls School emceed the main event. Zara kicked off the ceremony in the Main Auditorium, stating:

Every young girl knows her dreams are valid, so let’s not just celebrate how far we’ve come, but how far we will go.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly made a surprise appearance at the event, underscoring the importance of shaping the future of young women. The schoolgirls were captivated by Michelle's inspiring words, reflecting on the evolving perspectives of women in society. With Northern Ireland boasting four women at the helm of the executive, it's evident how far the region has progressed since the first vote for women’s rights. Michelle conveyed her optimism for a world where her children grow up valuing women, making a heartfelt promise to the girls present:

My ambition is that every person in Northern Ireland can grow up in a more prosperous and equal society…my adive to you all; be brave, take risks, learn from mistakes and dream big.

She continued by championing initiatives such as SistersIN, which play a pivotal role in creating opportunities and contributing to a fair and inclusive society. Programmes like these can create a fair society, where young women feel safe, valued and respected.

Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, then proudly took to the stage to speak about how her mother was her biggest role model throughout life and the importance of finding people who want to lift you up instead of putting you down. Emma’s biggest piece of advice to the 2024 cohort was:

Get your qualifications, don’t be afraid to be a try hard in school and participate in as many events like SistersIN as possible. The changes you make today will change the world we will live in in 15 years time.

Throughout her speech, Emma spoke about her pride in being in an all women team within the executive as it shows that we don’t want to just be symbols, we want to deliver on the big issues. To the schoolgirls in the room, she emphasised the importance of reaching for opportunities even if they feel out of your comfort zone:

When we step back from opportunities, they get filled by someone else.

Consultant Surgeon and President of ASGBI, Gill Tierney, followed the First and Deputy First Ministers with a keynote address that talked through her experience as a young, aspiring female surgeon and the importance of failure on your journey to success. She said, “Success is boring, failure is where you grow as a person”. Gill’s biggest piece of advice to all in attendance was:

The most successful people aren’t bossy or bullying, they are kind and honest. Integrity is the greatest predictor of success. Kindness comes from incredible strength. Be a strong woman who looks a challenge in the eye and gives it a wink.

Hazelwood Integrated School pupil and participant of the SistersIN programme, Maka Chinanayi left the audience spellbound with her heartwarming speech on what it means for her to be a female leader. Standing at the podium in the Main Auditorium, Maka confidently conveyed to the audience, “I can bring a lot to this world, I can advocate for change”. Maka's growth throughout her SistersIN journey was evident, and delivering this speech for the third time (first at the 2048: The Future Starts Now event at Stormont and second at the ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter Meeting) showcased her confidence and expertise in delivery.

The schoolgirls secured exhibitor support from 40 businesses including MCS Group, Danske Bank, Honeycomb and BT Group who took over Hall 1. After the keynote addresses, delegates participated in engaging panel discussions hosted in the Wolf and Lion Zones within Hall 1. These discussions, led by SistersIN students, featured prominent female leaders from across Northern Ireland, including the Managing Director of Personal Banking at Danske Bank UK, Aisling Press, Director at KPMG Sara Hamill and Human Resources Director at Gilbert-Ash, Maria Bradley.

This year's participants benefited from mentorship offered by both global and local firms, including Queen's University Belfast, Almac, Version 1, and NIE Networks. Additionally, four female leaders from ICC Belfast - Ciara Davidson (Head of Governance and Stakeholder Engagement and Company Secretary), Laurel Gray (Senior Event Manager), Eimear Hone (Senior Association Account Manager), and Jenny Penrose (Head of Venue and Event Safety) - actively participated in the mentoring programme, providing invaluable guidance to students on how to navigate the professional world and manage large-scale events.

The SistersIN initiative perfectly aligns with ICC Belfast's broader mission of fostering positive impact beyond conventional business events. By offering a platform for SistersIN to showcase their achievements and facilitating networking opportunities for young women, ICC Belfast contributes significantly to building a more inclusive and uplifting society. Chief Executive at ICC Belfast, Julia Corkey, said:

I know, that our female leadership team, relished the opportunity to provide mentorship and a platform for the female students to shine.

Speaking on her experience as a mentor, Jenny Penrose, Head of Venue and Event Safety at ICC Belfast said:

I would encourage people to participate because of the value and benefit that I think it brings to mentees who are part of the programme.

For more information on the SistersIN programme visit sisters-in.org