Alumni M7

Me being in 20/20 leadership has helped me a ton. I was a lot shyer before the program and wasn’t as talkative as I am now. I’ve seen myself grow a lot this year and I’m happy to say it was because of this program. This has put me out of my comfort zone and made me communicate with people. I was able to talk to people about jobs that I can do and internships that they have. My network has gotten bigger along with my skills. I can approach people but it isn’t the most enjoyable thing so I hope that in the upcoming events, I get to improve it. 

20/20 leadership has helped me perform better in my workplace. I work as a karate instructor and I can say that because of the talking skills I’ve gained in 20/20 have helped me improve as an instructor. I’m able to project my voice and be able to talk professionally and clearly. Being able to talk to so many people means that I’m able to communicate and learn about many personalities. Every kid in karate has a different personality and talking with people in 20/20 has helped me read the tone and be able to determine how I should respond back and with what tone, letting me effectively talk to each student. Having a student and instructor relationship is very important if I want a kid to pay attention to me.

  I want to use these skills in the future so I can get a good reputation. That it’s known I am a team player and I’m able to be a good leader to follow. I’m able to jump at opportunities quickly rather than just overthinking them. Being able to jump at opportunities is very crucial when it comes to searching for jobs, scholarships, going to job expos, showing I’m fit for a leadership position, and getting a promotion. Not only that but to be able to expand my network. Just by approaching and talking to a person I have the chance to make a powerful friend that will be able to help me with my future plans. My social circle is very important. It may be people that can help me grow and challenge me in a good way. I need to be able to choose who and who shouldn’t be my friends. But this skill can’t just help me. I speak up when injustices are being made or ask community centers what they need help with. With this skill, I can be more charitable than just staying silent. I can do things that can benefit my community. 

Leaving a legacy is something very important to be in my life. It’s how you ensure that we won’t be forgotten so easily. But to me leaving a legacy means leaving something for your community or your grandchildren. It can be by being a leader and being able to do changes that affect a community as a whole. Or even just being able to push your family ahead. Making sure that future generations have more resources to make sure they can go to college and have a bigger effect on the community than what I could do with my limited resources since I’m a first-generation Mexican American going to college. That’s what leaving a legacy is to me.