U of T Mississauga students take top prize at Collegiate Leadership Competition

A team of students at the University of Toronto Mississauga took first place at the international Collegiate Leadership Competition (CLC), where participants demonstrate ethical decision-making, creative problem-solving and effective leadership.

Each member of the team – which comprised Rida Ayesha, Shannon Campbell, Azhar Dilmamode, Unezila Jamal, Afeefa Muskan and Ayo Sijuwade – led one of six real-time challenges, receiving feedback from expert judges and earning points based on how effectively they collaborated and delivered results under pressure.

“Being part of the CLC team is no small feat,” said Laura Walkling, supervisor, leadership education, at U of T Mississauga's Centre for Student Engagement. “Over the course of more than 60 volunteer hours, students go from near strangers to a cohesive, high-performing team. We were proud to see our group not only grow together but also shine on the global stage.”

Walkling also praised the team’s coaches – Vanessa Hy, Karl Aquino and Maria Murphy – for their commitment to supporting each team member’s growth.

The team had already made their mark with a third-place finish at CLC's Canadian Regional Competition in March before taking on the world in the Global Virtual Competition in April, where they were the only team to score over 1,000 points.