Alumni Scholarship 21

While being involved in the 20/20 leadership program, I have gained an amount of leadership I never thought I had. I have always been able to control a conversation or have my input, but this program has taught me how to take charge, while still being respectful. While figuring out what we would do for the 20/20 Olympics, there were a lot of ideas flying around. I finally took the time to sit everybody down and figure out what we would do. After thinking about the pros and cons of every idea we finally decided on the outdoor learning space located on our high school’s old smoking patio. The name we decided on is Braves Innovation Oasis. Once we figured out what we were going to do, we had to make a presentation to present in front of the other schools and 20/20 Leadership board members. I had a falling out with the group of girls I was working with, but I felt a sudden change once we started working together. We were able to put our issues aside and put our priorities first. In my eyes, this takes a lot of responsibility and leadership from myself to be able to work in a group setting that I am not familiar with. It ended up being a good thing with these girls and me because we led ourselves to be awarded a $500 networking award from our presentation! Over the summer the group met multiple times with JE Dunn, HTK Architects, and the Fire Chief to ensure that we could follow through. While speaking with the architects we came up with our blueprint on how we want it to look. I took the time personally to get everything together and figure out what we needed financially. Our total was a little out of our reach, but we have found some ways to get around that! I took the first step to see our Athletic Director and ask about a sports event where my team and I could fundraise. As of right now, we are in the works of putting it all together. In the future, I will understand better how to take constructive criticism and take charge. While being a leader, it is important to be able to handle the feedback that is given from your peers. In the long run, the leadership skills I have learned will play a crucial part in my personal and professional development. As a leader, we still have to be able to communicate with each other and make sure everybody is happy, not just one person. I now understand how to communicate, delegate tasks, and encourage my peers to be more productive and work in a positive environment. Additionally, I will aim to use my leadership skills to navigate challenges and conflicts that could arise in situations in the future. Practicing problem-solving techniques, I can approach issues with a calm and rational mindset. Ultimately, being a strong leader means being adaptable to anything thrown at you. I see myself using these skills frequently during my future career. Anything could happen along the lines of electricity being out, viruses on computers, etc, to where my team and I should be able to adapt to make sure our work gets done and we don’t fall behind. To me, leaving a legacy behind means leaving a lasting impact on your community. It’s about creating something meaningful and something you are passionate about. A legacy is like a little piece of you that will continue to influence others even after someone is gone. Once gone, people can look at their past activities and realize the hard work and effort put into something for a change. Once I graduate high school and leave Bonner Springs, I hope our idea of our outdoor learning space will benefit the upcoming classes.