3 notes on leadership from Harvard Medical School's first black female class president

Boston-based Harvard Medical School's class of 2023 elected LaShyra "Lash" Nolen president last year.

Ms. Nolen is the first black woman to be elected class president in Harvard Medical School history. She recently gave interviews to Teen Vogue and The Lily about her role and her thoughts on leadership.

Three notes on leadership in the words of Ms. Nolen:

1. On improving the representation of black women in leadership: "I think it is important to show that black people can also be the face of a university," she told Teen Vogue. She said her vision for the future of black women in leadership is to "be seen, celebrated and recognized for their greatness at the same level as those around them."

2. On building a more inclusive pipeline: "In everything I did, it was always related to this commitment to equity and social justice. Even in my role at LMU, I was trying to find a way to make sure that we built a pipeline for other students who looked like me, or who felt underrepresented in student government to find their way to that kind of position," she told The Lily. Ms. Nolen was the president of student council at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where she earned her bachelor's degree.

3. On failing and trying again: "There were so many moments in my life when I felt like my potential wasn't matching my outcomes. And there are going to be many moments in my life where I will feel that again," she told Teen Vogue. "But going through failure taught me how to be resilient, and the key to resilience is always remembering to stand back up when life knocks you down."

 Read the full interview in Teen Vogue here and the full interview in The Lily here.

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