“I have always known my worth. I wasn’t confident in my capabilities. Joining this fellowship has elevated my confidence. I learned to step out of my comfort zone into positive change. I am grateful for the experience and everyone I met along the way. I will continue my journey to be the most effective leader because my potential is endless!”
“Participating in the MWLI Fellowship has helped me see myself as a more confident and intentional leader who values inclusive, strengths-based approaches to learning and advocacy. It has reinforced that effective leadership in early childhood means listening, adapting to diverse learning styles, and using my voice to support systems that truly meet the needs of children and families.”
“Participating in the MWLI Fellowship, I have been working on effectively delegating work to my support staff, in the past I would do all the work and be overwhelmed. I match task with strengths, I now think about my teams strengths, interest and growth goals. Building checkpoints and not micromanaging, I create moments to check progress without hovering.”
“Participating in the MWLI Fellowship has helped me recognize the power of my own voice and lived experiences, allowing to see myself as a leader who brings empathy, equity, and advocacy to help shape and bridge gaps in early childhood.”
“Participating in the MWLI Fellowship helped me see myself not just as a program lead, but as a systems-level advocate who can influence policy, partnerships, and practice to better serve young children and families. It strengthened my confidence to speak up in cross-sector spaces and lead with both data and lived experience when advancing early childhood equity.”
“I gained the strongest sense of who I am and what I want for my future.”
“Participating in the MWLI Fellowship has deepened my understanding of advocacy and the lawmaking process, showing me how various fields within early childhood can collaborate to drive meaningful change. It has strengthened my confidence in seeing myself as a leader who can connect different sectors to support children and families.”
“Being seen, supported and encouraged has changed the trajectory of my life! I feel more confident that I can make a difference in advocating for our families and children. I loved participating in MWLI!”
“I have learned more about my leadership skills and using those skills to gain confidence in my abilities. How to build your confidence to achieve the next steps in leadership. How to become an advocate for the children and their families in our community. I have been inspired by some amazing professionals and cannot wait to see what is next for me.”
“The MWLI Fellowship helped me slow down, reflect, and trust my voice as a leader. It deepened my understanding of how early childhood systems impact families and educators, and strengthened my commitment to leading with empathy, clarity, and equity.”
“Participating in the MWLI Fellowship has allowed me to collaborate with and learn from a remarkable community of dedicated leaders in the early childhood field. This experience strengthened my confidence as a leader and equipped me with practical tools to advocate more effectively for children and families.”
“This fellowship catapulted me into a world of opportunities to grow, thrive, and help impact families and colleagues in the ECE community.”
“Networking, meeting new people, hearing about and learning from others’ experiences. I learned about advocacy and the process to make a difference. I also learned about financial planning to support positive outcomes for your future stability.”
“MWLI has supported my leadership journey by creating a network of leaders who stand in their experience and power. This experience has supported my biggest vision and has given me the carved out time to take action. I have also learned so much from those in MWLI; the connections have supported my growth to achieve more for myself and for families of Illinois.”
“Being part of the MWLI Fellowship has been deeply meaningful. Over the past few months, I’ve learned that there are so many people who are just as passionate as I am about early childhood education. Coming together to share ideas, ask hard questions, and learn from one another has been incredibly empowering. The support, encouragement, and collective commitment to children and families has reminded me that this work is stronger when we do it together.”
“Participating in the MWLI Fellowship has inspired me to take a more proactive approach in shaping equitable early childhood education experiences. The fellowship offered me a supportive community of individuals who share a strong commitment to early childhood, fostering a sense of belonging and collaboration. Through this experience, I’ve gained clarity in my identity as a leader and developed a plan to actively engage with the field, enabling me to both draw from its insights and contribute to its progress.”
“The MWLI Fellowship has taught me how important it is to confidently tell my story when I advocate for early childhood. I learned about advocacy and policy work in detail, which will help me in my future careers. The connections and conversations I had in the fellowship gave me hope, which is valuable.”
