Senior 20

A loud screech from the ref’s whistle protrudes from my ears as I watch the girl fall harshly onto the ground. I’m so far across the opposite side of the field that I can’t hear or see much more from my position. My eyesight quickly replenishes once I see the blazing red card pulled out and put in front of my teammate’s face. I finally acquired the sense of understanding that the ref called out a penalty kick. Our goalie begins to freak out, and suddenly, I hear the coach scream, “JASMINE.”  Soon enough, I realized that she was yelling my name. I run over to her while gasping for air and quickly take off my Royal blue number twelve jersey. Once I finally get to her, she hands me a goalie’s jersey, and I head straight to the goals box. The sound of the wind’s breeze fills the silence of the crowd. I stand there in the center in desperation for my opponent to kick the ball. I study her body language and eye contact and throw myself to the right onto the ground. My fingertips graze the ball and push the ball outwards. My teammates screamed excitedly as they watched me save the ball, resulting in a tied game. 

At that moment, I realized that success is in the eye of the beholder. I had never been put in as a goalie, nor did I have any prior experience in soccer. The coach acknowledged our goalies’ instant fear once the PK(penalty kick) was called, and decided to switch her out for someone on the field. She called out a few names, and I took the initiative to switch out with her. At the time, I wasn’t the team’s captain, and I wasn’t experienced. Fortunately, I was able to lead the team out of a loss. Being a leader means taking responsibility, risks, and the initiative to do difficult things. That game was challenging, but I learned that I’m not only able to do something that I thought was out of my realm, but I’m also able to motivate others not to give up. 

Leaders demonstrate their capacities wherever they are. Whether by leading as captain of the girls’ soccer team or by leading the school in my students’ government class, I feel the need to lead by example by reflecting upon my grades and good character. I’ve been a part of the Principal’s Honor Roll numerous times, and I’ve helped colleagues with assignments that they may have been struggling with. I also help organize school events and participate in Harvesters. 

Society will always require people willing to speak up and voice their opinions. Leaders are needed for change and progression. I plan on demonstrating leadership by organizing more charitable social events in my community. Book drives, fundraisers, charity auctions, and marathons can all be profitable. The money accumulated could be returned to the community to fund school clubs. School clubs are vital because they give me a sense of belonging. This comfortability allows students to transmit their ideas more confidently. It will enable them to become leaders of their own, thus, continuing the legacy of leadership.