Senior Essay 26

Leadership is by being there for others. Many may not realize it, but people need someone to talk to sometimes, and I am that person they go to even though I don’t know them. I listen, talk, ask questions, and try to understand what they’re going through. Most times it’s something small like “oh i had a bad day, or I did badly on an assignment, or I was late to class.” “And other times it could be something more serious, like family failing classes or just being overwhelmed by everything that’s going on. I talk to them, offering ideas or help to solve problems, while other times it’s not anything serious, like small talk or a funny topic or something that we’re both interested in, like TV shows, games, etc. I enjoy conversing with people and just hanging out; no matter what they’re going through, some small talk or conversation can help someone feeling down or just lighten the mood on a rough day. In addition, another way that I demonstrate leadership is perseverance. There have been many times in my life where I thought I couldn’t do it, that it wasn’t possible, that something was out of my reach, that it wouldn’t get any better, but every single time I prove myself wrong. I’ve been through thick and thin for a majority of my life, and that has made me strong. Because of these experiences, I have become stronger, and now I want others to also have that same unwavering heart that I have. And I achieve this by doing community service all around the neighborhood and city. Helping in food pantries, harvesting, red racks, cleaning up trash around the school, giving out food for the homeless with the leftovers at work, and also shoveling snow in the neighborhood. And I believe that showcases leadership by helping others in need.
I hope to demonstrate leadership further down the road and continue to do great by serving my community. But as I head to college, I doubt I will have the time to do such things, but I will demonstrate it in other ways as well. Being resilient is one of those ways. Most people think leadership is about working with people and being a team, but it starts with you. Let’s not sugarcoat it: college is hard, and it only gets harder, but being resilient allows you to look at things a little differently. Things are going to go south with it being bad grades, deadlines, tests, essays like this one, and so on. But having a positive outlook during these setbacks will allow us to grow and do better than we ever thought; challenges are needed in our lives because, without them, we will become tarnished by problems that are lesser than they are. Accountability plays a big part as well; every failure and loss is only seen by us, including our professors, of course. Owning up to that failure is key to improving because it won’t only be you; it will also be your team that fails with you. Being in a team requires accountability, and that also comes with criticism. Knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are is important; a leader without self-awareness is anything but. College is a place of empowerment that is meant to uplift and give people many opportunities to be good leaders, and in that one-sided battle it will be I who will continue being great to inspire and support others through this battle of academics. Leadership to me is not defined by actions but by character and the ability to uplift others. It’s harder to struggle alone than together, and besides, we all have the same goal of being great leaders. Leadership starts with oneself; when that is realized ,one will go on to lead others on the path of leadership as well.