Royals 1

       Throughout my four years in high school I’ve possessed many leadership roles and have developed into the leader I am today. Although I am involved in many different clubs/organizations/activities in my high school, my most important leadership experience has been and continues to be my journey as Piper High School’s Senior Class President. It is a role that I have gained so much from and taught me more than I ever imagined.

      I have always been a natural born leader. However, I initially always led by example and in a more quiet way. I relied on listening, understanding, and acting in a way that would encourage others to do the same. I always did what I was supposed to do, but never really spoke out about anything. Over the years, I have slowly transitioned from a listener to approach, to a listen first, then proceed to advocate stance.

       My silent leader came about originally because of my fear of saying something wrong or causing conflict. Today, I still try to avoid conflict, but I have come to understand that healthy conflict in safe spaces brings about productive dialogue and positive change. I have a talent for creating safe spaces, which allowed me to feel even more confident with the idea that conflict can lead to change. I have gained an immense amount of humility which has allowed me to speak out, coming from a place of empathy and respect. I have realized that life is too short to be afraid and that living with humility and facilitating healthy conflict eliminates so many long-term stressors and worries.

      By watching those older than me lead as class presidents, I learned so much and used their presidencies to inform my leadership. Through watching and listening, I gained knowledge about how to be organized, communicate efficiently, build relationships, and to include all stakeholders. Each and every one of them inspired me, and I continue to use pieces of how they led in my position as the Piper Class of 2023’s class president in the present day. 

      During my time so far as president, I have improved my leadership skills in a plethora of categories. Communication, I would say, is a key part of my role. My main responsibility is to efficiently communicate with my class, my school’s administration, and the parents who organize our Project Grad fundraisers. I’ve had to get feedback and input from all sides and effectively communicate them to the other sides. The messages get sent to me, and then I relay all of the information. For example, one of the first things I was instructed to do was inform Project Grad about where our class wanted to have our graduation night celebration. After making a group chat with all members of the class, I took different ideas from both groups, made polls, and helped inform the final decision. Having communication as a leader is so important and a leader with good communication skills is a great leader in my eyes. People are more likely to feel invested in the work if they feel like their voice is being heard. One of my best traits is the ability to help people feel seen and heard. This has made a monumental difference in my leadership roles.

      I once wrote a paper on how resilience was the best trait for a leader to possess. I still think this is so important, and since then I continue to learn and practice the art of resilience through this busy and stressful year of my life. I will admit that somewhere in the midst of me being overwhelmed with all my responsibilities including numerous AP classes, college courses, sports schedules, college planning, and life in general, I felt like I was falling short in my role as Class President. I needed to regroup and recharge, as I think all leaders do from time to time.

       However, I didn’t let my frustration keep me down for long and I came back stronger and more ready to continue in my role. I feel that I have evolved as a stronger and even more equipped leader to my peers. I mention all that to show how important resilience is to leadership. When a leader is in a bad place, the group slowly falls into that same bad place and fractures can occur. That being said, when a leader bounces back, it encourages everyone in the group to follow and do the exact same. As I am in the process of reinvigorating the role, I’ve noticed my classmates follow my lead and be more active in the positions they hold.

      Leaders must have enough motivation to share with every single member of their group. I have learned and noticed how my motivation level affected those around me. If I am excited and eager about an event, then it motivates others to have that same attitude towards it. As a leader, your energy should be contagious and affect others for the better. You should be able to represent your group in a positive and enthusiastic manner. The positive culture of a group will undoubtedly bring them closer to meeting their goals.

      Through all of the experiences I have acquired, I am so inspired to further my education and see how far my leadership skills will take me and in what ways I can use them to create positive change.  I will always keep in mind both the things that I watched leaders before me do, and the things that I have learned while being in a major leadership position. I am motivated to further my education to ensure that leaders coming after me have the resources to lead the best they possibly can. I will use these skills in the next steps of my education, and also throughout the remainder of my life. I will continue to lead with communication, resilience, and motivation for as long as I live.