I first learned about the LEAD Office through the Leadership and Ethics class taught by Professor Nick Lennon. I had never really thought about leadership in depth until that class. The way that Prof. Nick Lennon talked about leadership is the same way the LEAD Office defines it. In that there really isn’t a singular definition or ideal leader. This lack of a definition really allows for anybody to be a leader in with their own nature character. Though there is still a focus on being an ethical leader and really reflecting on how one is impacting others as they are leading.
“We believe that every student has the potential to be a leader.”- LEAD Office
By having the opportunity to be an LC this past year, I really feel like I have gotten to see what I learned in the Leadership and Ethics class applied in real life. I have been able to develop my leadership potential and qualities, while keep true to my ethics. I have been able to learn from so many other people as well. Through classes like Active Leaders and Emerging Leaders, I have been able to get to know so many different types of people from so many backgrounds. L-TEAM, a weekly club through the LEAD Office, allowed me to build relationships with students interested in improving and growing their leadership. The Hampton Middle School workshops really had thinking on how to impart lessons about leadership and really project my voice to be heard in a 6th grade gym class.
Something that has been the most challenging for me is projecting my voice, being more extroverted, and being confident as I speak in front of a large group. When I was a junior in high school I had to give a speech in my English class. I already knew as I walked up there that it was going to be rough. Public speaking has never been a natural strength of mine at all. In addition to getting nervous easily, I also don’t have a loud voice. I had prepared and prepared to give this two page speech, but as I started, I still felt myself slowly starting to shake. It was a horrible couple of minutes, the shaking started in my hands and spread until it finally reached my throat and started to shake my words too. I was able to finish the speech, but I really never wanted to give a speech or talk in front of a large group of people after that.
Of course, in life and in college, speaking in front of large groups of people can’t always be avoided. Even more so if you decide you want to be a teacher. When I applied to be an LC, I knew that I would get a lot of practice speaking in front of groups. I had improved in not shaking while giving presentations, but my voice was still quiet and I would still get nervous easily. I knew that this would be a challenge for me as an LC, but a challenge that I needed to conquer. As a result of being an LC this year, I have been able to improve my ‘presentation’ voice, though I still need to work on the volume. The most noticeable improvement to me is the lack of shaking and just my general confidence in front of a group. I took a practicum class this semester and had to teach the class a couple of times. The presentation skills I gained as an LC helped me so much in being able to succeed my class. The support from the LEAD Office gave me more confidence and I have been able to do things this past year that my high school self would never imagine.
I just want to restate how important the people in the LEAD Office and all of the programs have been to my growth this entire year. I don’t believe I could have been surrounded by better people than those working in the LEAD Office and those that come through the LEAD Office. Being surrounded by people that are consistently trying to grow themselves and support others allowed me to do the same. Getting the chance to be around these people has been one of the most rewarding parts of this job. I can only hope that I have contributed as much as an impact as these people have had on me.