Jivka Ovtcharova, head of the Institute for Information Management in Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), learned to take on a leadership role as a child. She had the advantage that her parents, who worked, gave Jivka the freedom to shape herself professionally and personally and decide which path she wanted to take. “The inner conviction to go one’s own way and the knowledge of what one must do for it made me naturally self-confident and strong,” says Jivka.

At the core of Annette Logan-Parker’s journey lies a profound story of resilience, compassion, and unwavering determination. When your own child can be counted among those medically complex and vulnerable children battling for their health, and even their lives, you learn a few things – things that alter your view of the world, you receive real-life lessons not only on cultivating empathy and gratitude, but also on the principles of determination and advocacy- these lessons often start to guide your career and even how you live your life.