Alumni F17

During my time in 20/20 leadership, I’ve grown tremendously as an individual and a leader. Being a part of this program allowed me to expand my view on becoming a leader and has given me a chance to grow into a confident person who influences those around me. Although my leadership skills are exceptional, something was lacking until I joined the leadership program.

Due to my mature personality, people assumed I was cold and emotionless. I was presumed to not care about the things around me because of my mature nature, and I was often viewed as insensitive and lacking empathy. That is not true. Coming from a family where showing emotions was considered weak greatly affected me. In my family, we are raised to be strong, emotionless, and independent. My coworkers thought I was older because I would stick to myself at work and didn’t want to express my emotion without feeling awkward. I would be closed off and focused on my work. Although I would be the first to ask a question when others were scared and able to relate and help someone through personal problems, I was still perceived as cold. That changed once I entered the 20/20 leadership program. I was able to work on my emotions and grow into an optimistic, confident human being. I can now express my feelings, especially my happiness, adequately. I am now not afraid to take charge of an activity, motivate others, lead by example, and be positive and proactive within the community. Striking up conversations with people has become easy as I am now able to show my emotions without being deemed rude and disrespectful.

The advice and knowledge I’ve learned in 20/20 leadership will follow me as I grow. I want to contribute to future generations and allow them to succeed. I would open up a community recreation center in Kansas City. This center will enable members of Kansas City to come together and create a positive and improved community that will help our future and upcoming generations. I will ensure that everyone in the community has a voice and place to feel safe and free of judgment. 

As I venture out into society, I will lead by example. I want children to look up to me in a positive way. We are taught to always lead by example in class because we don’t know who looks up to us. This resonates with me because I am the oldest of five and was raised to set an example for my younger siblings. I want my siblings and others to take my advice and use it for future purposes. I like the younger generation to know the way people perceive you is not who you indeed are. Everybody has their own opinion about individuals, and I am not sure I can help change how people view me, but instead, I will show them that I am better than they think. I want individuals to be who they truly are in life.