Leadership Essay

The content and experiences cited in this essay are Sam's, but I rewrote it (the italicized portions are mine) to emphasize the character trait I believed it showed best, Leadership. (Alison)


John Quincy Adams once said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” Making friends with Olivia, a girl several years younger than I and still in elementary school, while on a church mission trip to Appalachia Kentucky was, I now see, a time of inspired leadership for me. Olivia was quiet around me when we first met, but I sensed a need in her that made me want to get to know her. I saw myself reflected in her life as I became more acquainted with her: Olivia played soccer; she had a caring heart; and, like all girls her age, she needed someone to come alongside her and give her confidence. I was baffled by her lack of confidence but also identified with her. Every time I took a step back and examined her, I wanted her to see the amazingly gifted, intelligent, and beautiful girl that I saw. I began investing time in getting to know her and was able to arrange to work alongside her on our mission project to help renovate a home for a needy family. We became friends.

After the mission trip, every Sunday I would seek her out to talk about her week at school, how soccer had gone, and what was up with her friends. We have grown together, giving and taking from each other’s experiences, including the death of my twenty-one year old brother and the death of both of her grandparents. My twenty-one-year-old brother died unexpectedly and not long afterwards, she unexpectedly lost both her grandparents. I understood perfectly the grief she was experiencing and began to share and care for her at an even deeper level.

I’ve been told by her mother that Olivia uses my life as a model for her own, and I know from experience that she is willing to confide in me when she feels lost or uncertain. I was surprised when I was told this because my only goal was to be a friend and give a portion of my time to help her realize how great a person she is! Whatever the reason, I am honored to have this place in her life, and I pray that I don’t set a bad example for her. This leadership experience I wandered into where someone is looking to me as a role model has pushed me to be the best that I can be for her and everyone else in my life.