Alumni {sequence}

   Going into the Leadership 20/20 program, I expected to gain more experience on how to navigate through life after high school. While the program did exactly that and gave me more insight and guidance on my future and next steps, it also did much more. Coming from a Muslim and Pakistani household, I am already an exception. The idea of going beyond my comfort zone was scary, especially in an environment where I wasn’t certain of how I would be viewed. However, I discovered an environment and community that understood me and made me feel like I belong, a place for personal growth, and a place that overall helped me grow as a leader and a person.

   One of the biggest things that came out of this program for me was learning what leadership is exactly. Leadership to me was taking charge of everything, making all the decisions, and overall being in control. However, after going through the program it made me realize that leadership is not about doing things alone or always being at the front lines. Instead, leadership is about guiding others, collaborating, and listening to the people around you. I learned that the best leaders are those who inspire people to grow and motivate them to contribute. This shift in my understanding helped me realize that my cultural and religious background wasn’t something to hide or be afraid of, instead it’s something I could use to become a better leader.

   This program helped my understanding of real leadership and enabled me to have those qualities, but it also contributed to my personal growth. Something that I have consistently found challenging is making decisions and communicating my thoughts. Being required to make choices causes me significant stress and anxiety. However, this program helped me navigate through it. It showed me that progressing in life involves facing numerous situations where I must make tough choices, but that is simply a part of life and personal growth.

   To begin with, this program taught me about financial literacy, different opportunities, law, colleges, and how to become a better leader. That is just a few of the very many things it taught me. I will be using the different college and career exploration days to help me pick which college and career path is best suited for me in the future. I will be using the financial literacy lesson to help with the way I budget my money and expenses for college and as well as other things like buying a house and a car when the time comes. This program really helped me define what a true leader is and how to possess those traits. It made me ready to take on any leadership role that might be thrown my way in the future. Not only that but it made me adequate enough to take on that role.

   Leaving a legacy to me means leaving an impact that someone remembers. It doesn’t mean doing something grand that the whole world has to remember but being able to inspire someone from anything I did whether that be just my achievements or how I lead by example. It means to be remembered by my leadership role and helping the people in my community and beyond. When I think of the word legacy, I think of a person who has made a change in someone’s life and helped them. Being able to be that person who shows leadership, strength, and inspiration is what leaving a legacy means to me.