Alumni M5

Joining 20/20 Leadership has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my high school career. I’m proud that I’ve been a part of something amazing like this for 4 years and will be an excelling alumnus of this program. 20/20 Leadership was a program where I was able to find myself and be the best person I can be. I’ve grown into an amazing leader over the years because of this program. I used to be very shy and would never speak up, but I have learned to put myself out there and be a true leader. Through this experience I gained a lot of knowledge in a variety of things, like finance, leadership, teamwork, networking, respect, and responsibility. When school was online my sophomore year I still stayed in this program although it was a very different experience because 20/20 was also all online. I learned a lot of responsibility and discipline that year, and I am very proud of myself to say I was one of the few people attending those zoom meetings. That covid year, and great help from 20/20 really helped me see the leader I was becoming. I want to ultimately leave a legacy on anything or anyone I am involved in or speak to. Leaving a legacy to me means leaving a positive impact or influence on something that is long lasting. I want to be the kind of person that lights up a room and who anyone can talk to. I am a strong leader, and I want it to be known that I can be a person people can depend on and will help with anything needed. I want to be a knowledgeable leader to help and teach people new things. I hate to boast but to me this is what this essay is about, and this is a way 20/20 leadership really helped shape the person and leader I am. I recently left my job at Hy-Vee, and I saw an impact I made. The head managers and many coworkers spoke with me my last day and talked about how they were thankful I worked with them, and said I am a great leader and a good kid with astonishing potential, and that I will be great in wherever I choose to take my future. My main manager said, “I am proud of you man, you came to this job kicked a**, you had integrity and now you’re on to better things I’m really proud of you.” -Aisles online manager Carl. I apologize for the swearing to the person reading this, but this was a very sentimental talk that I would like to share in my essay. Ultimately, I am so thankful for being a part of 20/20 leadership and for all the amazing beneficial skills and traits that I gained from this experience and will continue to be the best version of myself possible. I plan to attend UMKC to study Business Administration with an emphasis on Analytics and Business intelligence. My goal is to own a tax business and provide service to those who need financial help especially to new citizens who face challenges in the financial system. With the knowledge I’ve gained from this whole experience I am confident I will be able to achieve my goals.