Alumni Essay 20

Participating in the Youth Lead KC as a first year my senior year made me wish I joined sooner. It’s helped improve my public speaking in many ways so quickly that I can only imagine how it impacts others who have been in the program for a longer period of time. It has not only allowed me to talk well in front of other people but also taught me how to network with other businesses or even just to be comfortable asking questions that I used to not ask. Youth Lead KC has helped me grow as a leader entirely by seeing all the other leaders around me. I feel that the environment this program provides helped me not only grow as a leader but also grow as a whole. I believe others should have this opportunity as well because it helped grow confidence in my speaking and made it easy to talk to someone I have never met before. I can use these skills in my future because these different skills can help me grow connections with people if it’s not difficult for me to talk to them. Connections can always lead to opportunities, which is why I feel everyone must learn. No matter what career you may pursue, you can take that skill with you and practice it wherever you go. Another skill trait that will help me in the future is public speaking. This not only helps you speak better and not get shy, but it also builds character by giving you that confidence. When I think of confidence, I think of it as being comfortable with the person that you are and not being afraid to be the only one to think a certain way. I believe this builds character because it makes you realize that it isn’t that serious and that nobody cares how you put your shoes on or how you write. This can all be an example of “leaving a legacy”, to me, it means taking all that you learned and all the skills that you got from the program and taking it with you on your journey to pursue your dream. It also means leaving a mark on yourself by making changes, saying your opinions, because that opinion could be the reason somebody benefits more from what it may be. Overall, making that decision to join my Senior year has been one of the most meaningful experiences. It’s shaped me into a more confident speaker, a strong leader, and a more open-minded. I learned that leadership is not just about standing in front of a crowd, but also about listening, building relationships, and being willing to step out of your comfort zone, no matter how difficult that is. As I move on into my future in college or my career in general, I hope to continue to grow my own goals and passions