Senior Leadership Scholarship Essay 18

From having the responsibility of making sure everyone was behind me in line in kindergarten to present me running my school’s yearbook staff, having a leadership position in the KAY Club, and leading pitch projects, I have exhibited leadership skills, whether it is direct or indirect, in many aspects of my life. Leadership isn’t a one-time opportunity for me; it has always been a continuous process. I always strived to gain and learn about others and their unique perspectives while we all shared a common project goal. I never considered myself to be the definition of a leader until I entered high school when I learned what a true leader is. I always base my understanding on the name of the role rather than the actions. Every leadership role I have taken has had different people with whom I collaborate, and my ability to be a team member has never changed. There’s no leadership without being a team member first, and I took great pride in being a strong and reliable team member and excelling over the past years.

A big project that led to a domino effect on the other leadership roles I got was the opportunity to be a leader in the 2020 Leadership Junior Olympics. It was the first time I had to create a pitch for an idea affecting my community. As a group leader, I had to communicate with my classmates, whom I had never exchanged conversations with before. As someone shy, it took me a while to get out of my shell, but I got out of it, and now it has led me to become familiar with my school and the community. Applying those soft leadership skills, I had helped the process run smoothly. After my role in the 2020 Leadership Junior Olympics, a couple of months later, I helped develop a pitch through Saint Luke’s Health System called SkillSurge. Using the skills I had learned from my previous pitch presentation, this project was easy to produce. SkillSurge was an operating room simulation lab that catered to current health professionals and aspiring health-interested students who didn’t have the opportunity to get hands-on experience. As a leader in this pitch idea, we placed in the top 18 out of 150 pitches because I applied soft skills and knowledge from my previous roles and projects and worked closely with my team members.

Being able to lead in community-based projects and in my school clubs has allowed me to set high expectations and future goals for myself based on my community’s needs. All the clubs and projects I have attained have a common factor based on my community. I want to use my leadership to produce and create help and guidance for those who can’t or struggle to attain the resources. To do this, I plan on majoring in Nursing, which directly impacts those in my community. Leadership has taught me that true leaders are never done evolving, and the skills you have developed will be used in every aspect of your life. I gained a deeper understanding of all areas of leadership, and I will continue to apply those to my everyday life and future.