Alumni Essay 34

General George Patton was noted, “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” A true leader strives to create more leaders, a world where everyone takes control of their life, a world where everyone empowers themselves, and each other. By showcasing your leadership, and allowing others to be free in their pursuit of their own leadership, we create a world full of authentic leaders.

This revelation became true to me through my participation in Youth Lead KC, a program that has continuously allowed for me to take opportunities to grow as an individual, and as a leader. Through this program, I have become equipped with the leaders that help our world prosper which has given me the courage to become a leader, to become the representation another needs. Growing up as one of the only black and queer kids in my school, I quickly became aware of the lack of representation of those like me. But what was harder to realize was it wasn’t just me, there are thousands of others who do not see leaders who look like them. But fortunately for me, programs like Youth Lead KC have unlocked the representation I so long desired. As lucky as I am, there are still thousands locked away from this true representation of leadership, and have become assimilated into accepting the idea of leadership where they don’t feel seen. Due to my fortune through this program, I have been called to a calling, a calling to represent true leadership for all. I understand that I must take my learnings from this program and the leaders in it, and become one myself. I will no longer just be a learner, but I will now be an advocate for leadership. This program has taught me how to be a leader and what that means, and now I will give back and contribute to the creation of the next round of leaders.

The future is in the hands of everyone, but not everyone knows this. I have been fortunate enough to learn what true leadership means through Youth Lead KC, and now it is time for me to showcase what I’ve learned through this program and how that will leave a lasting legacy felt for years to come. By becoming a representative of leadership, I will broadcast true leadership skills such as compassion, integrity, communication, and empowerment. But more thoughtfully, I will also broadcast true representation, representation of communities who have been shut off from leadership roles, emotional depth to the challenges marginalized communities have faced, and more importantly, a true, authentic resister to societal norms. Communities like queer and black have too long been turned away, but because of the commitment to representative leadership that I have found through Youth Lead KC, I will continue to dedicate myself to a legacy of leaders who push pass societal norms and boundaries, and show that leadership isn’t a small box, it’s an opportunity accessible to everyone, but everyone must make an effort to showcase such.

All in all, I have been the most fortunate to be able to have access to Youth Lead KC. Their commitment to creating the next generation of leaders is outstanding, and has been a key drive of what I define as a leader. But the entire world does not have this fortune, and if I have taken one thing from  this program, it is that we must all broadcast our leadership to the world, because we can b e the light at the end of someone else’s tunnel in their journey to find leadership. So I will continue to represent every part of myself, and help the world become controllable to inclusive leadership, because the legacy I will leave behind will encourage generations of leaders.