Alumni Scholarship 29

Valeria Martinez Rodelo

20/20 Leadership 

Alummi Scholarship 

February 24, 2025

It was in kindergarten when I first heard about one of my classmates being sick. We were in kindergarten, and I was too young to fully understand what cancer was, but I knew something serious was happening. One day, this girl wasn’t in school. The teacher explained that she had to go to the hospital for treatment. I didn’t really understand, but I felt this knot in my stomach. It was a mix of empathy and fear because I didn’t fully understand what cancer was or why it had affected my classmate. When she finally returned, she wore a hat to cover her hair loss, and while other kids made fun of her, I felt sad and frustrated. I wanted to help but didn’t know what to say, so I walked up to her and gave her a hug. I sat beside her and offered my friendship. I didn’t try to make her laugh or pretend everything was fine. I just wanted her to know she wasn’t alone. 

As I grew older, I realized that leadership isn’t about being the prettiest or the loudest, it is about showing up for people in their hardest moments. The act of hugging someone or offering her comfort without needing to fix things taught me something I will carry with me forever. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is simply be there for someone, showing them they’re not alone, no matter how hard things get. As a little kid, I learned that leadership means offering support in ways that truly matter to others. I grew as a leader by learning that the heart of leadership is compassion, and small acts of kindness can make an impact in someone’s life. 

We tend to take our parents for granted. I never realized this until I got older. ‘’When you grow up your mom will become your best friend”, is something I heard a thousand times but refused to believe. Recently, I have started to see this shift in our relationship. If she is not becoming my best friend right now, then at least she is becoming a friend. As for my father, I never found a friend in him. My father was my best friend when I was little, however we became distant as the years went by. My mother raised my brothers and me all by herself. She was a single mother for a while when my father went away. My mom lacked the support she truly needed. Her attention was never completely on me. Although I knew she wished it could be, I was not mature enough to understand it as a child. So, I held it against her. I would spend countless nights arguing with her in my head, hoping she could tell I was hurt. My feelings were valid, but so were hers. It sounds selfish, though as a young teenager, I did not see her as more than my mom. I knew she was a person that I loved, but I failed to see her as someone with feelings. This perception is something that most teenagers deal with. We see our parents as a caregiver rather than an individual. It wasn’t until I got older that I understood how my mom went through traumatic experiences, too. I think when I opened my mind to that, we started to become closer. Laughing in the kitchen with her has begun to heal my inner child and now I couldn’t be more grateful for her. Thank you for this opportunity.