When I first became an LC, I was a little nervous about how I would do developing others. I thought that I had the skill-set for it, but hadn’t really had the opportunity to practice developing others. However, after this entire year of numerous workshops and working with members of L-TEAM, I think that I can confidently say that I can help others develop themselves and their understanding of leadership and other related areas. I saw myself doing this during the Hampton Middle School workshops. Even if the middle school students did not fully understand the lessons of leadership, I always saw that there would at least be a couple of students that understood the lessons we were trying to get across, even coming up with ideas that I hadn’t connected with the activities. I always love when people make connections that I wasn’t even trying to get them to make because it shows how thoughtful the are being.
I try to create an atmosphere during all my workshops that allows the open exchange of ideas and thoughts. I want to help people self-reflect and see what they can do to further their understanding of themselves and how they can move forward to accomplish their goals. I really love having the time to get to know a group or individual people so that I can see their strengths and what they are looking to grow in. Being an LC has allowed me to form those relationships with people over the course of this year. I have had great discussions with so many different people and heard what they are striving to be.
Again connecting to my hope of being a Teaching English as a Second Language teacher, being able to motivate my future students will be one of the most important things that I can do. Anyone that has learned another language understands how almost frightening it can be, no matter how well you speak in your native language(s). Your ego, which is so connected to how you speak (because isn’t that one of the main things that people observe about you), is being put at risk all to develop this new skill. I want to be someone that can help other people achieve their goals and be a source of knowledge for them.
I also got to work with a Mason LIFE intern this semester named Meredith. She would come in every Tuesday for about an hour and a half. At first she had a teacher named Missy accompanying her and helping out with tasks each time she came in, but halfway through the semester, she start to come in by herself. She constantly was able to help with harder and harder tasks throughout the semester. She helped set up our Mason LIFE workshops which we had three Tuesdays this semester and even presented during one of them using posters she made. She also created the flyer for one of our last events this semester. You can see it pictured on this page! She always came into the office with a great attitude and was ready to help with anything we needed to do that day.
Overall, as an LC, I’ve felt like I have been able to give others the tools or knowledge that can help them reach their goals. I think that’s one of the best things in the world to do. Sometimes it’s an uphill battle to try to get someone to play what seem like ‘silly’ activities, but I always love when I see that one person finally see the connections to real life lessons.
This flyer was created by Meredith!