Senior 22

Throughout my high school experience, I have been given many opportunities to grow through school and community activities; the most influential were the high school yearbook, being an officer of student council, and being an officer of Diversity. The Totem Pole is the official student yearbook created by students for our high school. When I was involved in this activity, I designed many different pages that influenced the lives of my peers while also being an editor for the yearbook during the last two years. While being an officer for student council, I was able to vote on important issues and be a voice for our school while also serving as an important role model for the younger students at my school. As an officer for our Diversity club, I did many hours of service, created inclusion within our school and community, and also created a foundation that can be built higher and higher for a lifetime. These activities taught me many important life lessons that I will carry with me throughout college and the rest of my life including how to be an effective leader. Designing for the yearbook helped me to be proactive. For me, finding my voice within my school was a challenge, but designing pages for the yearbook and holding positions in student council and diversity gave me that opportunity. During this time, I and my peers were able to work together to create a safe environment for our students, faculty, and staff to all be included and make a change and a difference in our school. We had many insightful conversations, and I was able to communicate my ideas in a way that the other members could understand and respond to. All of these lessons have helped me grow from who I was when I began high school, to who I am today as I begin the next phase of my life. After graduation, I plan to attend Kansas State University to major in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Social Studies and a minor in Leadership Studies. While in college, I also plan to take a job within a school community around Manhattan, Kansas to lead and guide our future generations to success. In my life, there have been many instances where I have demonstrated character. One major instance would be during my junior year of high school. During my junior year, I was dealt awful cards after being named one of the yearbook editors. From Day 1, I felt that I did not belong in the class and that I had no position that I desired to be in. I met with my fellow peers, teachers, and even our yearbook advisor and another editor to discuss how I was feeling. Their responses back helped and also declined how I felt. From then I took the stand to stand for what is right because you should never bring someone down in a position where they are doing everything that they know is right. As of today, I feel that I made the right decision to stick up for myself and believe what was right. I feel that this has led up to where I am today as one of the 2023-2024 school year Yearbook Editors. Also, in school, I have developed as a leader in many more ways than just one. I have held many leadership positions within my school including Student Council Class Representative and Secretary, Diversity Vice President and Historian, Criminal Justice President, a part of the 20/20 Leadership Program to help build myself as a leader, and many more. Outside of school, I have developed leadership and developed as a leader while being a member of the Boy Scouts Of America. I have been in Boy Scouts since I was five years old and I have loved every minute of it. From our meetings, to field trips, to service projects, and to my final ceremony of Eagle Scout; I can now say that being a part of this organization has been the best experience that I have ever had. I have been able to lead our younger generations to success and to the path of their life journey. I have also been able to be a mentor for many of our scouts as they have been inducted into the Order Of The Arrow which is the National Honor Society for the Boy Scouts that I am a part of as well. As I close, the one thing I have taken away from these experiences is that it is never the wrong time to make an impact or difference in youth’s lives because it will always leave a lasting legacy.