Leaders Across Borders
Ohio Wesleyan Students Explore Leadership Development, Conflict Management in Northern Ireland
Name: Oyindoubra "Doubra" Akika '27
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
High School: Corona Secondary School Agbara
Majors: Quantitative Economics, International Studies, and Psychology
Minor: French
Name: Jack Gatchel '26
Hometown: Nevada, Ohio
High School: Wynford High School
Major: Psychology
Minors: Politics & Government and Film Studies
OWU Connection Experience: Participating in the Leaders Across Borders (LAB) program in Northern Ireland.
The Leaders Across Borders program, hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University and supported by the Great Lakes Colleges Association, brought together 18 students from around the world in May for a week-long immersive workshop focused on leadership development, cross-cultural communication, and conflict management within the context of Northern Ireland's history.
Ohio Wesleyan was represented at the workshop by current students Akika, Gatchel, and Ella Holtsberry '27 of Granville, Ohio. OWU faculty Lisa Ho (LAB program director), Chad Johns (assistant director), Michele Nobel (faculty facilitator), and Paul Dean (faculty liaison) helped organize the program, and previous LAB participants Blake Johnson '24 and Timothy Page '25 served as mentors.
Why This Experience?
Akika: "The Leaders Across Borders program was so meaningful for me because I believe in the power of shared experiences, even when those experiences are not lived. I believe that to be able to, even in a small way, understand what people have gone through or the burdens that they are carrying, you must be willing to walk in their shoes, regardless of how uncomfortable you may be.
"I knew that this would be an opportunity to meet people from all over the world and to have the really difficult conversations that aren't everyday conversations. I wanted to be able to have enlightening conversations and build better communication skills for my personal life, and also so that I could make the student organizations that I am a part of more inclusive spaces."
Gatchel: "I pursued this opportunity because of my interest in political science. I am not particularly well-traveled, so this trip allowed me to learn more about politics outside of the U.S., in this case, Northern Ireland. This region has a complicated and relatively recent history of political violence known as the Troubles, and I was able to learn about this history firsthand in a way that otherwise would not be possible or as immersive without traveling."
I knew that this would be an opportunity to meet people from all over the world and to have the really difficult conversations that aren't everyday conversations.
Favorite Moments
Akika: "My favorite moment was a discussion that we had with all the participants and the facilitators in the Corrymeela Community Center. There was something about just being surrounded by nature that made me feel more grounded and more actively able to take the time to process my thoughts and just feel my emotions. What stood out to me most in our conversation was hearing other people express so clearly the thoughts that I was having and the emotions that I was feeling. Watching my own thoughts take shape in someone else's words made me feel so seen and so understood. It made me feel connected in a way that's hard to describe."
Gatchel: "My favorite moment was one of the walking tours where we got to see both sides of Northern Ireland's political spectrum. To put it briefly and simplify it, Northern Ireland's political landscape has one side that wants to leave the U.K. and become part of the Republic of Ireland (this side is mainly Catholic, largely identify as Irish, and call themselves republicans or nationalists) and another side that wants to remain part of the U.K. (this side is mainly Protestant, largely identify as British, and call themselves unionists or loyalists).
"These sides fought violently for their goals as recently as the 1990s, and on our walking tour, we saw that these communities are still segregated by peace walls. Each side also had countless murals and memorials dedicated to their separate causes. It was also interesting how the communities would take sides on issues that were not even directly related to Northern Ireland's politics, such as how the Catholic neighborhood had murals dedicated to Palestine while the Protestant ones had murals dedicated to Israel."
Lessons Learned
Akika: "I learned from the experience that vulnerability is not equivalent to weakness, and that it takes a different kind of strength to unlock the vulnerable parts of yourself to be able to connect with what other people are going through. It taught me the importance of being grateful for the spaces that I am allowed to be vulnerable in.
"I learned that sometimes in life we must wrestle with ourselves to find the serenity to accept the things that we cannot change about the way that things are, and the way that other people react toward us. That the circumstances we face in life don't diminish who we are, and that we are defined by our words and actions and how we choose to live our lives.
"And I also learned that peace isn't merely the absence of war/conflict. It's an intentional process that requires sacrifice, and sometimes you have to meet people where they are. Experiences like this one matter so much because they give you a renewed sense of hope in the world and faith in human beings. I feel like in the world we live in today, it's becoming increasingly important for people to have hope and to be able to have faith in other people."
Gatchel: "This experience helped me learn more about two essential values in peace-building: forgiveness and trust.
"For forgiveness, it was initially shocking seeing how both sides of Northern Ireland's political spectrum have to live alongside each other in peace despite them killing each other's ancestors just a few decades ago. However, I soon learned that forgiveness, even in extreme circumstances, is an essential part of resolving conflict. I also learned that forgiveness is less for the benefit of the perpetrator and more for the victim to find peace and closure, which changed my perspective.
"As for trust, both sides of a conflict need to learn how to trust one another before real progress can be made. While the peace walls in Northern Ireland may, as the name implies, help maintain the peace between the two communities, they also symbolize the distrust between the two sides."
Campus Involvements
Akika: "I'm president of Rafiki wa Afrika, an organization for African and Caribbean Students, vice president of the Campus Programming Board, and PR chair for the French Club. I'm a member of the OWU Women's Rugby Club and a member of the Economics and Business Student Board."
Gatchel: "Outside of the classroom, I am an OWL Camp counselor, a Bishop Scholars tutor, and the president of OWU's anime club."
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
Akika: "I chose to attend Ohio Wesleyan because, as an international student, OWU was the only university I applied to that cared about me. Even before I arrived on campus, OWU made the effort to check in, offer virtual tours, and help me connect with people. It was the only place that really felt like home and felt like a place where I could thrive and be my best self."
Gatchel: "I chose to attend Ohio Wesleyan because it is a small liberal arts college with a great campus and a friendly community."
Plans After Graduation
Akika: "My plans after graduation are to go to graduate school for economics and to work in investment banking or with a CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution).
"I believe that OWU is preparing me for life beyond college in many ways. I think that my confidence in my academic abilities is soaring and that I'm taking on numerous responsibilities, which will prepare me for the responsibilities to expect after college.
"I also believe that Career Connection has been very helpful for me in realizing the kinds of jobs that are important to me and how to make myself a stronger candidate for internships and job opportunities."
Gatchel: "After graduation, I plan to attend grad school to earn either an Ed.S. or an Ed.D. in school psychology and work as a school psychologist. OWU has prepared me to reach this goal by putting me on track to earn my bachelor's in psychology and providing several opportunities for me to work with school-aged children, such as Bishop Scholars and OWL Camp."
