Dinner With Our Alumni: wonderfulRainbow817

Hi everyone! We are already halfway done with December 😱And that warrants for another dinner! For those that don't know, Dinner With Our Alumni is a series of small interviews that I conduct with 7 Cups Academy alumni to know more about their journey in the program - this post is dedicated to the Leadership Development Program! The aim is to spread more awareness about the program and hope everyone gives it a read!

Today, we have the lovely @wonderfulRainbow817! Rainbow is an accounting student (send them all your math homework, people x)) who joined 7 Cups simply because they wanted to be able to help others out. They said something that really stuck with me: "I find it important that everyone in this world sees that even though a stranger may not know them, there is still someone out there who cares about them," and that's so powerful! Rainbow has been with the community since April 2021 and have been contributing to the community in many ways - in the forums for the Internship or as a Care Team member and a Listener Coach.

What was on the menu? Alfredo Pasta!!

Without further ado, here's Rainbow for you:

What made you join the LDP?

Growing up I have always been shy of taking on a leadership role but once I started getting my footing with being a listener I realized it was time for me to break out of my shell a little. I just wanted to be able to gain some skills so I could emerge as the leader I know I can be.

How was your experience doing the coursework?

I had a great time while doing my coursework! I'll be honest, some of the sections took a little longer than others but it was totally worth it. The coursework really was set up well because it made me truly think deeply about what it means to be a leader and the type of leader I could be. I learned so much about myself through it.

Did you find it easy to navigate through the forums for each course?

Yes, there was a link at the bottom of each topic that would take you to the next one you needed to complete. That was so much easier than having to search through forums for each course.

How did you dedicate your time to doing the coursework?

I would sit down and spend 30 minutes on it every night. Depending upon which course it was I was able to get a whole course done but sometimes I was only able to get 2-3 parts of the course done. I wanted to make sure I was spending enough time on it while also paying attention to my roles I have here on 7 Cups, plus making sure I was still spending time on things that needed done in my personal life. I never spent more than an hour at a time on it.

Which course did you like the most? And why?

I enjoyed course 4 because that is where I spent the most time analyzing how to be a great leader whether in the community, in a small group, and just in my personal life. I really was able to grasp what I was good at and evolve through it and take what I wasn't so good at and improve it.

What role did you get into after the program? How are you liking the role you got into for the LDP?

Well I am now a room supporter, forum supporter, and peer supporter. I really like how I chose peer supporter. The reason I specifically chose that role is because of the reason I joined 7 Cups. I joined because I wanted to be a support for those who are needing a little extra support or who may be having the worst day of their life. I've dealt with a lot of obstacles in life and I know how important support can be for our mental health and all around health.

If you had to give one tip to the current trainees, what would that be?

To be patient and make sure you manage your time. Things aren't always going to come easy to people and sometimes it is time to take a break and come back to it at a later time.

What can we do to make the program better?

I think making it more interactive. Maybe instead of all just reading and responding if there were mini games that you could interact with others going through the program it would make it easier to interact with others and be more engaging.