Royals Essay 32

My most important leadership experience during my high school career took place during one of the most overwhelming times of my life. The beginning of Senior Year, filling out college applications and trying to figure out what next in my life. Newly inducted Student Council Vice President, I was, and still am, responsible for planning fun field trips and catering to my school’s needs. My job is to facilitate and pick up any slack when needed for other student council committees; a chair fell short, and I had to be there to catch them. While I was focusing on my many responsibilities outside of school, I had to take on organizing and hosting the homecoming pep rally. This is my Senior year, so I wanted everything to be special and perfect. Taking on the responsibility for such an important event meant a lot more to me than other events, especially because I had little to no support along the way as this event came together. Although the homecoming season began very stressful, the results showed me that all my stress and hard work paid off.

Firstly, the planning process is the hardest part. I felt anxious and honored to be theone in charge of such an important event. Homecoming for my school is something that we look forward to each year, our big shabang, especially for underclassmen, with them having no prom. The thought of the whole school criticizing my ideas, visuals, and overall outcomes really got to me, but I kept working hard. Gathering information, figuring out themes, games, and other ways to keep energy throughout the whole pep rally left little to no room for any errors. The whole school was watching and depending on me, so I knew I had to keep things rolling as smoothly as possible. With all of the critiques and commentary i knew I wanted to prove those wrong and knock the weight off my shoulders, so it was on!

I was taught during the planning process that leadership can be overwhelming, but I needed to focus on performance and preparation rather than worrying about my committee not showing up. Each detail being mapped out, timeline created, coaches, players, and managers being reached out to, admin, creating online orders for needed games and decorations for the big day. Reserving school space and drawing out maps of where everything would be, assigning roles to those who did show up, and participating. Multitasking all of these things at once while still focusing on schoolwork showed me I could do it, and it prepared me for future school-year events.

One obstacle that threw me for a big loop was that a special guest performer reached out to inform me that they were unable to attend because they had double-booked themselves just days before the pep rally. Without panicking, I found another local performer to fill the spot quickly due to my over-preparation. Unexpected challenges came up on the day, like music going in and out, props breaking, and items just missing completely! I figured out during this that I needed to calm down and pace myself before reacting, and I was still able to recognize that my leadership was needed and that I couldn’t avoid the problems that kept coming up. Responding with composure and determination allowed the event to still come together in the end.

Today’s the bid day! I was ready, script made, time slots set, everything lined up together, but now my only issue was actually hosting the pep rally. I began feeling the most nerve-wracking feeling, anxiety. With 1000 eyeballs on me as I talked and introduced not only myself but, most importantly, the different athletic teams and performers, my hands began to tremble, sweat flowed, and my energy started to decline. I talked to my peers, and they helped me shake off those nerves. I was finally able to get the show on the road! The music bumping, students laughing, dancing and clapping, and performers performing. By the time the pep rally was over, the students weren’t ready to go; they said, “No, we’re not ready yet.” I knew right then, and there I did it. The process was long and hard, but because I pushed myself, the pep rally came out amazing!

Through this stressful experience, I learned that pushing yourself and not giving up is always the best thing you can do. Showing up for those who need it will always come back around. Taking the lead on this and covering for the chair who fell short was a learning experience for our whole Student Council, and I was able to teach the lesson of what it looks like to step into other shoes while maintaining school and my own responsibilities.

This experience has taught me a lot and truly inspired me to further my leadership skills in other organizations. I learned I thrive in sometimes pressured atmospheres, so this experience is directing me toward organizations in college that will allow me to continue collaborating, networking, being creative, and building relationships. For post-high school education, I hope to study and refine the abilities I have developed throughout my high school career.

In conclusion, looking back during the homecoming season, a time where it felt like I felt nothing but anxiety and stress, i wasnt realizng that I was building myself and my image and impact at my high school. My determination, resilience, and strength clarified my passions and ambitions. Moving forward with my education soon, I carry everything with me, which contributed to the true leader that I am today.