KC Royals Charities Scholarship Essay

When I was in middle school, I started playing the cello. I never imagined myself playing an instrument in high school because I was always stressed about my schoolwork and never considered trying anything new. One day, my mom suggested I give the cello a try. At first, I wasn’t interested—it didn’t seem like something I would enjoy. But after some convincing, I decided to give it a shot. The moment I joined the orchestra, I fell in love with it. I remember picking up my cello for the first time, messing with the strings, and realizing this was something I wanted to do. I practiced every day, and my ability to learn quickly helped me improve fast. My teachers noticed this and often praised me for it. Because of my progress, I started helping my classmates in my section when the teacher couldn’t get to everyone. Eventually, my teacher decided to make me the first-chair section leader.
Being first chair became a big part of my identity, and I held that role from middle school all the way through my senior year. I was responsible for tuning my section’s cellos, helping peers read notes, and making sure that our ensemble stayed in sync. Everything was going well until COVID hit. Suddenly, we had to transition to online classes, and the orchestra just wasn’t the same. The transition was challenging because each student was learning at their own pace, and the arrival of a new instructor mid-year made things harder. Despite the struggles, my passion for the cello never faded. When we finally returned to in-person classes, I rediscovered my love for both playing and leading my section. Looking back, I’m grateful that I took that leap and gave the cello a chance—it shaped me into the person I am today. Having this role showed me hidden characteristics within myself. When I was younger, I never liked to be in charge. I used to wait until everyone did things for me or told me what to do instead of figuring out my own way until I learned that being a leader is the most fun part. In 20/20 leadership, I had another huge opportunity to be the group leader in my school’s group project. Keeping the group in order was a hard task, but eventually we began to work together and the project moved very smoothly with my leadership and their cooperation. As a team, everyone works more efficiently when each component of the group is contributing their share in order to reach the point of success.
When I think about using leadership skills in life, I always think about my future and how I want to apply these skills to my medical career. I strive to be a leader in the workforce. As a woman, I feel like more women are needed in the healthcare field and I want to be that person who leads other young people into where they want to be standing in the future. Being a part of this wonderful program has allowed me to build meaningful relationships with the administrators of 20/20 Leadership whose perseverance continuously inspires me. They have demonstrated how to guide young individuals towards a positive path and ensure that they make good decisions in life. Their patience and presence in each of our lives shows how much they care about each member in the program. Ever since I joined 20/20 Leadership my freshman year, I have grown tremendously in my confidence and it strengthened my leadership abilities. I have been a part of 20/20 leadership since my freshman year of high school and from then to now, I have grown so much with my confidence and strengthened my leadership. I always compare myself from back then and now and look at how I’ve gotten so much better with time management and resolving conflicts. There have been many times where conflict sparked and back then, I didn’t know how to approach the situation. The more times I get to experience leadership, the more skills that I gain and will use in my present and future.
Being a leader has motivated me to continue my education because it has shown me how many opportunities are out there that might not be possible without strong leadership skills. I’ve realized that I can’t just sit back and watch things happen, especially when I know the decisions being made aren’t the best for the team. Leadership isn’t just about being in charge, it’s about being supportive, understanding, and willing to guide others in the right direction. I lead with patience and compassion, making sure everyone feels valued and works together toward success. Through this amazing journey, I’ve learned how important clear communication is and how to stay true to myself. I will forever be grateful to be a part of such a wonderful organization.