1. The author took a risk by volunteering in an underprivileged village in the Dominican Republic, which was outside her comfort zone. 2. Some outcomes of this experience included gaining a new perspective on poverty, helping to improve the community through construction and education projects, and personal growth in confidence, empathy, and language skills. 3. This risk-taking experience profoundly impacted the author and shaped her vision, motivating her to pursue a career helping empower women and children in similar communities around the world.

1. Express yourself
Describe a time when you took a great risk.
What was the outcome?
Sophie Bik (2015 Intake)
International Relations Applicant

2. “ A ship is safe in harbour, but that
is not what ships are for”
William G. T. Shedd

3. What is a risk?
• A risk can be defined as an intentional
interaction with uncertainty, whereby
uncertainty is a potential, unpredictable
and uncontrolled outcome.
• It is a consequence of an action taken in
spite of uncertainty.
• While some risks are involuntarily, we also
seek out risks on our own and enjoy them.
Risk is part of every human endeavor. Throughout our lives
we are constantly being exposed to risks of different degrees
whether in our home, on the road, at school or work.

4. What does it imply?
• A risk provides opportunities while exposing us to outcomes
that we may or may not desire.
• Some risks may seem meaningless, while others make a
significant difference in the way we live our lives.
• People generally learn lessons from past failures, and then
strategize to minimize the chances of them repeating
themselves while going forward.
If you win you will be happy, if you lose you will be wise.

5. The fears that accompany risks
• Fears accompany risks because we tend to overestimate
the size of risk, and amplify the consequences. We also
underestimate our ability to handle it and then downplay
the cost of inaction.
• However, to live life to the fullest and to reveal our limitless
potential requires us to take risks and overcome fears.
In other words, life is about
exposing ourselves to critiques,
uncertain outcomes, failures
and – yes – successes.

6. The time I took a great risk…
• My greatest risk was not a life-
threatening or a financial one,
but it did have a significant
impact on my life. It came along
with outcomes and rewards.
• I took the initiative to step out
of my own comfort zone. I left
my warm and steady student
life in Montreal for a couple
weeks of volunteering in an
underprivileged village of the
Dominican Republic.

7. … outside my comfort zone.
• I believe that leaving your
comfort zone is about
embarking on a journey that
involves continually challenging
your assumptions and
overstepping the boundaries of
what feels comfortable.
• With all risks, the task remains
the same: continual growth and
creation of yet another set of
opportunities to pursue
productive discomfort.

8. My experience in the DR…
• Along with American, Chinese and Canadian students I lived in
the mountains where running water and electricity were not
part of daily life.
• Our activities included building latrines, laying down cement
floors, repairing roofs, teaching English and organizing
workshops on reproductive health, sanitation, nutrition, crop
cultivation and sewing.

9. … led to productive discomfort.
• Struggles: language barrier when
communicating with locals,
discomfort on the construction
site, emotionally touched when
realizing how little the children
lived with.
• But I embraced and learned, and
in the end I became better
through it.
• Most importantly, when outside
your comfort zone, you are
impelled to be decisive as
opposed to having the luxury of
staying idle. In other words, it
forced me forward.

10. Risks force us forward.
• Although the first days were
hard, I soon learned that
everything required preparation
and team effort. Being
committed and working in
unison were vital for success in
both areas of construction and
teaching.
• Decision-making was required to
divide tasks and work
effectively, making our teamwork
strong. Enthusiasm and
determination were two of the
most important components to
me.

11. What were the outcomes?

12. 1. Eye-opening
Through the technological advancements of today, people
become aware of campaigns to alleviate poverty, empower
women and install access to water. For most, although moved by
the vivid imagery, the issues remain far removed from their
everyday life.
By going to the Dominican Republic as a volunteer, issues such
as poverty, lack of resources and food insecurity became real.
This exposure to life outside my comfort zone began to
change my perspective, and brought me a degree of “reverse
culture shock” on my return home.
Likewise, it was an awareness raising experience about the
socioeconomic and environmental issues at stake.

13. 2. Community impact
• We collected 250kg trash materials, potted 1200 seeds for
planting, assembled 14 latrines and laid down 27 cement floors.
• Adult trainings in health issues and food security through
workshops on hygiene, nutrition, sexual health, sanitation, and
crop cultivation inspired the women of the village. Likewise, we
provided an opportunity for experimentation and therefore
learning for all children, as they are like little sponges and learn
from everything they encounter, absorbing the material.
• Through the impact we had on their community, and the bonds
we created with both children and adults I came to realize that
there is a larger purpose to life.

14. 3. Personal empowerment
• Taking the risk to step outside my comfort zone personally
empowered me, as it:
Increased my self-confidence and my empathy;
Made me think deeply about my own comfort levels;
Developed my self-awareness and helped me understand my
strengths: strong cooperation and team building skills; and my
weaknesses: too perfectionist;
Learned to better manage my emotions when seeing hard
living conditions and children who live with so little;
Improved my Spanish language and communication skills.
Back at McGill University in Montreal I inspired others.

15. 4. Life changing
My risk built me in every possible way, but most importantly it
was a life changing experience. Seeing children and their
families happy even without basic needs had a profound impact
on me, and on my academic and professional decision-making.
The earlier mentioned personal empowerment made me a
much stronger person than I was before taking my risk, and I
am now much more determined to make a change.
Having seen and lived the realities that these communities
face everyday allowed me to change my perspective and
provided me with a closer insight on their specific needs.

16. It molded me and shaped my vision
• I now realize that the ability to take risks by stepping outside
your comfort zone is the primary way by which we grow. My
comfort zone has adjusted since then: things that were
difficult and anxiety inducing became easier.
• Making new experiences, learning new skills, and opening the
door to new people and ideas inspire and educate me in a way
that little else does.
• By pushing myself into new areas I had a chance to
authentically define who I am, become more productive and
motivated, and shape the vision of where I would like to go.

17. • I strongly believe that learning to live outside my comfort zone
has prepped me for other risks and life changes that may be
forced on me. I now have an easier time dealing with new and
unexpected changes.
• I am convinced that this Master Degree with its unique
combination of international relations and the world of
business and economics, will allow me to continue benefiting
from the positive outcomes of my risk, as it will well prepare
me to play an important role in today’s globalized setting of
finance for development, in order to empower women and
children in communities such as El Castillo, and offer them the
opportunity to become entrepreneurs.

18. Risks are what ships are built for…
• Ships balance the risks of the sea, the waves and the weather.
These are things ships are built for.
• Much like a person can be safe and comfortable at home in
their own comfort zone, that is not the point of life. People
are meant to explore and have adventures, to expose
themselves to new things and to open themselves up to new
challenges.
• Ships cruise the sea,
people navigate through life.