Leadership to me is a journey of discovery, not only for myself, but a discovery of other individual's potential that I also may learn from them. It is an expression of a person at his or her best whose goal is to transform something better and to develop the imagination and character other people possess. I feel that I am a unique leader in my community and school because I speak my mind honestly, always listen to what others have to say before voicing my opinion, and most importantly am a strong observer, which makes for an excellent leader. Great leadership is an activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of the others that he or she is working with. I have held many leadership roles throughout my school career: Vice President of National Honor Society (whose chapter received one of ten outstanding service projects in the U.S. with organ donation), representative at Missouri Girls State and Hugh O"Brien Leadership Camp, volunteer at Camp Blue Sky for a period of four years, followed by many other leadership roles. However, I feel that it isn't the position you have, it is the amount of time, effort, and responsibility you put into an idea to encourage others to volunteer. Being a leader is influencing peers to do something good for someone else, and learning more about you at the same time. I feel that my greatest leadership role was being a cadet teacher and instructing a first-grade Mexican boy how to read in English. It took a full school year for him to comprehend one book, but the joy that he felt after reading the book back to me was something that I had never experienced. That little boy showed me that no matter how long it takes, if one person has faith and believes in you, that you can truly do anything. Not only was I a leader by teaching the young boy to read, he was leading me on another discovery of myself that education would be a field of study that I would like to pursue.
