When I grow up I want to be a rock star and have a pony and a castle. Since my preschool years, my ideas of the job I would have “when I got big” have changed on nearly a weekly basis. From doctor to lawyer to teacher to FOX News anchor, my occupational aspirations have shifted and been molded by personal experiences and incredible people with whom I have come into contact. Currently, my greatest, and longest lasting, career interests lie in foreign relations and diplomacy. Two experiences over the last two summers set apart in my mind a career in diplomacy from any other occupation.
The first was living in Washington D.C. for a month as a Senate page with forty intelligent, eager, unique teenagers. It was a incredible privilege to see our nation’s Senators in action—debating, chatting, being interviewed, representing their constituents—and an honor to meet and watch powerful people and their staffs collaborate to further construct and maintain America’s framework. At first the experience grew my interests in politics, but later I realized the aspects of paging that I loved the most were living in the city of Washington D.C. and meeting many exceptional people from diverse backgrounds. These two interests pointed me to the goal of eventually working for the Department of State. That summer made me realize how much I love discussing issues with people who have unique mindsets stemming from their unique backgrounds and unique interests. It developed within me an eagerness to try new things, branch out, and test the bounds of my comfort zone. The brilliant, outgoing people surrounding me made me want to work harder and to be better. After paging I knew I wanted a job requiring my fullest efforts, engaging many of my interests, and c...
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...tend the meeting, listen to me, and participate. After none of these expectations were met, I realized that I would first have to work to meet the expectations and earn the respect of the council in order for them to trust me and want me to lead them.
I have much to learn about leadership, and I want to be taught. The McConnell scholars program provides the perfect environment to gain leadership skills while also gaining a well-rounded education and constructing strong relationships with other scholars focused on building the same character traits.
As I research colleges and complete applications and search for scholarships, I am overwhelmed by the number of degrees, programs, and learning experiences offered, but the McConnell Scholars Program seems to be the best fit for me because of its influence on a trait which I want to develop more and more: leadership.
...reams and seek change. In order to be a leader one must be willing to do what they ask of others. Even while I would always be there to provide guidance and help lead the way, I would never ask members to do something I am unwilling to do myself. Whether its picking up trash from the highway, leading groups at a CDE contest, or standing in the freezing cold to ring the Salvation Army bell, I am always willing to serve along my fellow members.
leadership is not a skill that can be taught in an academic nature. Northouse (2015) assesses “In
It all seemed a little overwhelming. How I ended up there still seems like a dream even today. Back in early 2001, while working in an art museum library in Nashville, Tennessee, I heard about the internships at the National Gallery of Art. They have quite the reputation in the art world. I bemused myself by daydreaming of one day being an intern there. At the time I heard about them I most certainly wasn't a good candidate. I only had the one art museum gig under my belt and I still really lacked direction in my career ambitions. But fast forward to 2002. I was no longer working at the art museum library (the position was eliminated due to budget cuts) and I was no longer living in Nashville (I moved to Tucson to attend SIRLS). There's probably nothing else like losing your job to really make you figure out what you want to do with your life. I realized several things: I wanted to continue working in an information provision setting, and I wanted to work with visual collections, specifically photographs. Because of those goals, I chose to immediately find my way in at the Center for Creative Photography as soon as I arrived on campus in Tucson. I started out as a volunteer and would go on to do an internship there. This critical experience was exactly what I needed to boost my resume to the level of D.C. intern candidate. So . . . six full months before June 9, 2003, I applied for an internship at the National Gallery of Art.
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B., (2007). The leadership challenge, (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Throughout the novel, The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders, authors James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner share with young student leaders the skills they have found for effective leadership. The authors wrote The Student Leadership Challenge hoping to strengthen the abilities and uplift the spirits of leaders by introducing the five principles: modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart (Kouzes and Posner 3).
During my time in the Intermediate Leadership Course (ILE) there have been many topics covered. Each of these topics were geared toward increasing our effectiveness as leaders. Many of the concepts were known, but not practice, while some were unknown. This experience has given me the insights and tools to improve in multiple ways as a leader. In the next three to five years I will take the steps necessary to utilize what I have learned and apply these concepts to be a better leader, peer, and subordinate.
Kouzes, James, and Barry Posner. The Student Leadership Challenge. San Francisco: A Wiley Imprint, 2008.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The Leadership Challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA:
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The Leadership Challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA:
From what I have researched, the President’s Leadership Academy appears to be a diligent leadership program that will encompass me with community service opportunities and provide experiences that will benefit me in college and my future career. Not only is it a valuable organization that will increase my oratory and writing skills, but, more significantly, it is a four year commitment that will encompass me with experienced professors, eager learners, and a system of scholarly references that will undoubtedly contribute to my path to success after college. Hence, I am interested in being a scholar in the PLA because membership will bestow significant leadership qualities upon me that can strengthen me both in and out of the classroom. Furthermore, I'm interested in being a scholar in the PLA because I plan to graduate college as a Secondary Education major. Strong leadership qualities are vital to a teacher’s success, therefore I am eager to seize the opportunity to enhance
One of the topics in organizational development today is leadership. Leadership is what individuals do to mobilize other people in organizations and communities. According to Kouzes & Posner, there are five practices and ten commitments of exemplary leadership. The five practices of exemplary leadership include: Model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. In the Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner found similar patterns and actions of leadership that created the essentials to achieve success. Utilizing the research conducted by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, I have created a leadership plan that would apply to the Admission Department at Texas Wesleyan University.
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2007). The Leadership Challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA 94103-1741: Jossey-Bass.
I interned a cardiologist where I got to see the life of a physician as he went about his daily routine. I achieved getting my Certified Nursing Assistant license after assisting patients at a nursing home. I became a camp counselor for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, where I took care of a 10-year-old child during a summer camp. Through these experiences, I gained confidence in my character and purposefulness. Furthermore, I went on a mission trip to Kenya where I experienced life in a third world country. It was here where my eyes were opened to see a world that is in dire need of help. These people are malnourished, living in detrimental conditions without accessible health care. The experiences I had in Kenya reminded me to never take anything for granted. My engagement acting on all these opportunities fueled my perseverance to pursue my career in health
Lussier, R.N. & Achua, C.F. (2010). Leadership: Theory, application, skill development (5th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western.
...esponsibility to finished the task. Occasionally, I need to do the task and given the responsibility to act as the leader. In such way, it give me chance to develop my sense of leadership.