Looking Back at Fifteen

If I could go back to when I was fifteen… standing at that strange border between childhood and adulthood… uncertain, ambitious, and full of unshaped dreams… I would see a version of myself who desperately wanted guidance, someone to tell me how to walk in the world with confidence.

I would remember the endless questions I carried, about the future, about my purpose, about how to fit into a system that never really explained itself. Like many others, I believed that a university degree was the magic key to everything. But when I finally stepped out into the real world, the world of work, business, and responsibility, I realized something far more sobering, a degree alone doesn’t open doors. Skills do. Character does. Confidence does.

The Silent Gap

Today, thousands of young people are still walking that same uncertain road. They finish school and university, yet they lack even the basic workplace and soft skills that shape success. They face job interviews without knowing how to introduce themselves with confidence. They step into offices without understanding how to work as part of a team. They dream big but stumble over the smallest obstacles, not because they lack potential, but because no one ever gave them the tools.

And while everyone knows the importance of these skills, universities rarely fill this gap. Many business owners, myself included, often find that having these skills means more than a paper certificate. It’s the difference between getting a job and being left behind.

One day, I was at my company, sitting at my desk, surrounded by deals, opportunities, and ambitious projects. On the surface, everything looked right. But inside, there was a silent gap, a familiar ache that whispers every now and then. A reminder that true fulfillment doesn’t come from contracts or numbers. It comes from doing something meaningful for my people. For the youth who still stand where I once stood.

A Vision is Born

When this feeling rises, it doesn’t ask for permission. I stop everything else. I build something. This time, what was born out of that feeling was the LeadUp Program, a youth leadership initiative built not on fancy slogans, but on a mission to shape real leaders for tomorrow.

The journey wasn’t simple. Every step was a fight against what is “normal” in our system. Choosing the topics alone took time, because this program wasn’t about teaching theories. It was about teaching life. We wanted a program that spoke the language of today’s world.

Then came the challenge of trainers. I’ve never believed in someone standing in front of youth, talking about how to “catch the apple” without ever touching one. I wanted trainers who had struggled, achieved, fallen, and risen again. People who know what it means to build something real. That’s how LeadUp became the first locally managed, internationally recognized youth leadership program in Kurdistan, carrying the soul of our land and the standards of the world.

The Brave Sixteen

We opened our doors to 16 young people aged 15 to 18. Each one came with a different story etched on their faces, some shy, some angry, some disappointed, some lost. At first, we thought about rejecting those whose energy seemed “too negative.” But then a deeper truth emerged, If we only help those who already shine, we aren’t changing anything. We’re polishing what’s already bright.

So we accepted them all. And within just two days, something extraordinary began to happen. The shy ones started raising their heads. The disappointed ones began to hope. The lost found direction. The angry found purpose. I kept asking myself, What if we had turned them away? Maybe they would have remained unseen, unheard, forgotten.

The Five Weeks That Changed Everything

For five weeks, we walked together through challenges, learning, growth, and discovery. They learned to lead, to speak, to plan, to believe. And we, the organizers, learned to witness transformation with humility. It wasn’t just about soft skills. It was about reclaiming their voices.

At the end of the program, each participant presented a project. And as I watched them speak, I couldn’t help but compare their moment to ours, when we were their age. We had almost no opportunities. No stage to speak from. No mentors to guide us. But today, we are building the bridges we once needed. We are giving these young people something we were never given.

We chose the top three projects, initiatives that soon, all of Kurdistan will see, touch, and feel. These projects will leave fingerprints on their communities. But the truth is, every single participant walked away as a seed of change.

The shy one became one of the most powerful presenters.

The disappointed one learned more than anyone else.

The lost one ended up showing us the way.

The angry one? He won first place.

And the rest… they became stars in the making.

This program stands on many shoulders

I owe deep gratitude to the people who stood beside us to make this possible.

• To the participants and their families: thank you for trusting us with your children’s dreams.
• To the trainers: you were the backbone of change.
• To the community leaders we visited: your stories inspired a generation.
• To Barzani Charity Foundation: for always being an important part and believing in our ideas and supporting them tirelessly.
• To the American Consulate in Erbil and UNHCR staff: your participation gave this program strength.
• To NextGen Foundation: for carrying the vision and managing the program.
• To Edwina American Academy: for opening your doors and providing facilities.

A Promise for the Future

LeadUp is no longer just a program. It’s a promise. A promise that every year, more young people will rise. More dreams will be shaped. More change will be born.

And maybe, one day, when one of these young leaders sits in a room surrounded by business deals and opportunity, they’ll feel that same gap in their heart. And instead of ignoring it, they’ll rise, just like I did, and build something bigger than themselves.

Because leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about giving back. It’s about lighting the way for those still standing in the dark.

LeadUp will return every year, stronger, louder, and more determined. This is how real change begins, not with a single act, but with a movement that refuses to stop.

— Mohamad Rashad