Fostering Leadership
Leadership Success Stories
Below are some examples of personal success stories that reflect the goals and values of the Sparks Program.
Yasemin
Yasemin, who was trained as a nurse and graduated from Düzce University in June 2014, is now working at a major hospital in Istanbul. She is committed to introducing social change programs in her community such as a women’s book group, a concept that is not well known in Turkey.
Nazli
Nazli was the first coordinator for DLD and helped to establish it as a non-profit. She was only a senior at Kocaeli University in Izmit when she undertook this, her first paid position. Currently she works for a major corporation in Istanbul and speaks at DLD events, sharing her experiences as a young professional woman.
Huriye
As an Ege University PhD student and a participant in one of the early Sparks Programs, Huriye claims she could not have imagined her role today. (She appears in the center of the photo – joining Sparks participants who have taken on the project of painting their dormitory rooms.)
Huriye served as a Sparks facilitator for two years. She then used her experiences to serve as chief advisor for all facilitators for two more years. She now continues her participation as a DLD advisor. At the same time Huriye is a member of the faculty of the Department of Fisheries at Ege University where her work is focused on the economics of fisherwomen. She also serves on the board of the Ege University Women’s Center.