“My goals, however small or big, have always been inclusive, keeping the greater good of my community in mind” – Deema Alkhaldi, 23 years old, from the Misk Fellowship program.
I had my eyes set on joining Misk the moment I received an email from my sponsor, the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission, regarding Misk’s Fellowship program, asking “Do you refuse to stand still even when it seems that the world is slowing down? Are you looking for the next steps in your personal and professional development? Or, are you striving to be the next future leader to make a positive change in the world?” My answer was ‘yes, yes, and yes!’
I applied to be a Fellow shortly after graduating; having earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Economics and International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder. The Misk Fellowship was a timely blessing; as a fresh graduate, I was eager for such an opportunity to begin an exciting journey towards my personal and professional development.
The Misk Fellowship is not only a program for building future leaders, but it is a community of ambitious youths actively working to better themselves and contribute to the growth of the Kingdom. Therefore, a quality of Misk Fellows is that we are prepared to lead today but are preparing to be better leaders of tomorrow.
Misk is honing our leadership skills, helping us build connections with like-minded fellows, exposing us to first-hand engagements with established leaders and known organizations, and providing us the opportunity to make a real impact on other youth through the Mentorship program, and to the Kingdom through developing solutions towards the Global Goals of Vision 2030.
On both a personal and a professional level, Misk provided me with the opportunity to create change through addressing the Sustainable Development Goals; out of which goal seven: Affordable and Clean Energy, was my calling. It allowed me an opportunity to work closely with members of the Ministry of Energy and consulting firms such as Strategy& in contributing towards turning this goal into an accomplishment. In turn, this experience has given me a real-life insight of the energy industry and complements my engaging role at one of the world’s largest energy companies.
The Misk Fellowship has offered a myriad of memorable experiences from networking sessions to competition training sessions, but the most rewarding experience thus far has been the chance to impact a younger ambitious generation. Misk’s Mentorship Program has allowed me to witness the great drive and potential of our Saudi youths. Their eagerness and willingness from envisioning inspiring ideas to executing impactful projects, all with an aim to help our community prosper, is a true testament to what the Saudi Youth is capable of dreaming and achieving.
I work in the energy sector, and although I have ambitions to make a domestic difference across several sectors within our Kingdom, I hold a wider view of the significant impact the energy sector has not only within our region, but the world at large. I am proud of Saudi’s ambitious goal to go net-zero and privileged for an opportunity to work towards making Saudi greener.
Go for it! Apply for an opportunity to be a voice for innovation, advancement, and growth, and be heard. The Misk Fellowship is a supportive program that offers you hands-on experiences, resources, and tools to help you achieve your goals while fostering a leader in the making.
One of the biggest milestones of the Misk Fellowship program is the competition stage, aimed to address and tackle Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). I’m thrilled and honored to be part of a great team working on a solution for SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy through supporting the Kingdom’s goal of achieving 50% renewables by 2030.
