Gurjit Kaur Shergill

This week we are celebrating Gurjit Kaur Shergill as our Woman of Impact. Gurjit has been recommended to us by a colleague for her ‘EPIC impact’ in her role as the Principal at the Ebbsfleet Academy in Kent, UK.

Gurjit’s first steps as a Principal in a secondary school were taken in September 2019 – 6 months into the global pandemic that turned the modern world upside down. Combined with the coronavirus and the implications for education and welfare that a pandemic brings, Gurjit’s led her school through some challenging times.

Gurjit is defined by all that is EPIC – she is selfless and tireless, strives to raise up others around her and is as tenacious as a mother tiger when caring for the young people in our community. She champions student and adult mental well-being, raises significant funds for the school and continues to improve the quality of education provided to students under the most difficult of circumstances.

Gurjit’s guiding lights are her EPIC standards and her faith, both of which drive her impact at work, in her community and at home. Her EPIC standards of Expectations, Pace, Independence and Challenge complement her deep faith and personal values of equity and an equal future. It is Gurjit’s daily commitment to values that contributes to the leader she is today.

Growing up there were not a lot of women, especially ethnic women, in leadership roles. Gurjit believes it is incredibly important for young girls to see themselves reflected in positions of influence and impact at their school and in the workforce.

Today Gurjit actively supports and nurtures opportunities for women and girls and while, at first, there were feelings of uncertainty, Gurjit is proud that she took bold steps to become the leader that she is, so younger ethic girls can see themselves reflected in women of leadership, influence and impact. She believes it’s incredibly important for women to be bold in their choices and actions, and says, simply, “I make it happen”.

For Gurjit, this year’s UN women’s these of “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” is about women who go above and beyond; women who are “extra”. Often described as someone who’s “extra” herself, Gurjit embraces this description and believes that to create impact, leaders need to go further and do more than expected.

For more about Gurjit’s work with students during this pandemic, you can hear her speak on the BBC radio via the link https://youtu.be/gr-I-B_YiV8.