BY J. M. LEE
Natalia Bussard got where she is today thanks to her perseverance, hard work, curiosity, high motivation, and belief in herself. She grew up in Ružomberok, a small town in a mountainous part of Central Slovakia, where she was fortunate to grow up in a caring and nurturing family of educators who loved nature and the outdoors and learned to ski when she was just three. Growing up, she enjoyed a happy childhood. Her family spent a lot of time together, making her an optimistic, resilient, and goal-oriented person with a happy outlook.
“My family’s encouragement, love, and guidance toward my independence encouraged me to dream big,” she says. Thanks to this upbringing and education, Natalia discovered a passion for languages, science, and business, which she had honed and developed throughout her life. As a leader, she believes in combining four main qualities that can contribute to success: courage, risk-taking, resilience, and managing ambiguity. Having obtained a master’s degree in science and learned to speak six languages fluently, coupled with her ability to think critically, enabled her to make a bold move to immigrate to Canada.
“In Vancouver, I pursued my dream of working in the world’s best educational institutions,” she recalls. “The University of British Columbia in business and career development and Simon Fraser University, as the leader of the Science, Health Sciences and Environment Co-op Program.
I very much enjoy working with men and get along with them well, for the most part. Here, however, I would like to dedicate to the topic of how women who speak their mind might sometimes resonate with men. Men often see such women, and I consider myself one of them, as bold and strong. In my own career, I experience resistance not only as a leader but also as a team member when I upheld my integrity and standards and dared to speak when others were silent. This was when we were tackling a complex issue or when we were presented with a dilemma.
One of the harshest lessons learned for me was at a business development meeting when my male manager, a senior person to me, spent too much time speaking about our organization’s and his own credentials rather than asking questions to probe the client’s needs. I stepped in, diplomatically but resolutely, and posed the necessary questions that allowed us to turn this potential client into a real one. His reaction was anger and an insulting comment because I dared to speak in the meeting. I counted until ten and instead of a reactionary comment, I offered the feedback from a few clients who said contrary to what he was claiming about my work. With surprise and relief, I could watch how he got disarmed and decided to change the topic to a more pleasant one. This situation is a great reminder of not to turn triggers into a reaction I could later feel sorry about.
Now, I am at the doorstep of defending my doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy in plurilingualism and transformative learning. My research has explored whether knowledge of multiple languages makes us more open-minded, accepting, and curious about others.”
May is the month of Mother’s Day, the celebration of our unsung, selfless heroes—our mothers. “When I was younger, I did not fully appreciate the value of my mother, who was always there for me as my biggest supporter, the person who listened to my assignments, encouraged me to pursue my dreams, listened to my heartbreaks, and believed in me. My mother is a strong woman and a talented poetry reciter, having won multiple competitions by reciting impeccable poems from her memory. She has inspired me to be an excellent mother to my daughter Audrey, a ten-year-old talented figure skater.”
