During my CAS journey I took part in a program called 1 Million Founders and it turned out to be one of the most exciting and valuable experiences I’ve had I went into it not really knowing much about what business is or how it works but by the end I had learned so much and even worked with a team to create our own business from scratch at first it felt a bit overwhelming because we were learning new things all the time and had to think like real entrepreneurs but as we kept going it started making sense and became something I really enjoyed

(LO1 – Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth)
While working on the project I realized that I’m quite good at communicating ideas clearly and coming up with creative solutions I was usually the one helping shape our business concept and explain it during presentations but I also noticed areas where I need to improve for example I found it hard to manage my time and organize tasks especially when we had tight deadlines or needed to divide the work better

(LO2 – Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills)
There were a lot of challenges in this program like learning how to pitch our idea researching the market using digital tools and even working under pressure but instead of giving up I took those challenges as chances to grow now I feel more confident speaking in front of others and handling teamwork in a more professional way

(LO4 – Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience)
There were definitely times when we felt tired or unsure and it would have been easier to just do the minimum and move on but we didn’t we stayed focused on our business idea and kept improving it we practiced our pitch again and again and gave each other feedback to get better we were committed to seeing the project through to the end even when it got difficult

(LO5 – Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively)
Working in a team taught me how powerful collaboration can be everyone brought different strengths to the table some of us were good at designing others were good at speaking or writing and by working together we made our idea stronger I learned how to listen better respect different opinions and find ways to solve disagreements in a positive way

(LO6 – Engagement with issues of global significance)
Our business idea wasn’t just a random product we wanted to create something that could actually help people and make the world better our idea focused on solving problems connected to the Sustainable Development Goals like Quality Education and Decent Work and Economic Growth we thought about how technology and innovation can make learning easier and more equal for everyone

(LO7 – Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions)
As we developed our business we also thought about what was right and responsible we asked ourselves if our solution was fair if it included everyone and if it could actually help without harming anyone we didn’t want to just make something to earn money we wanted to do something that made a difference in a good and honest way

Through this whole experience I became a lot more curious and open minded I kept asking questions about how things worked and why certain business ideas succeed while others don’t I think this really shows the inquirer part of my learner profile I wasn’t just doing the tasks because I had to I actually wanted to understand and learn more about the business world and how I can be part of positive change in the future

Overall this was one of the most meaningful CAS experiences for me it helped me learn about business leadership teamwork and also myself I feel more confident now and I know that if I keep learning and working hard I can really build something that matters