Leadership Scholarship Essay, Research Paper

There are two kinds of people in this world, followers and leaders. Followers are the people that never take a leadership role in any activity. However leaders are the ones that use their leadership skills to make a difference in this world, such as presidents, teachers, or even college graduates. Leadership is not something you can learn from a book, but you have to gain this skill through experiences such as holding an office, organizing an event, speaking in front of people, or participating in a leadership program. This is one of the reasons I want to be part of College’s Leadership program. I want to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to make a different in my school, my community, my county, and even my world. This program will give me the information so I can become a leader, not a follower. The skills I learn will be taken back to my community and applied to a middle school program that I am involved in, and in Lincoln County 4-H.

Leadership is not something you can take lightly. Many students at my high school would get elected to a leadership position and not perform the jobs and duties associated with the office. It was more of a popularity contest than a serious commitment. Over the years, I have been elected to several offices and I have realized that if you are elected to a leadership position you should perform the job duties because many people are counting on you. I have tried to the best of my ability to live up to my commitments.

I also realize that not all leadership positions are elected or appointed. Many are people deciding something needs to be done in there town and doing it themselves. I have taken this kind of leadership role in many activities including being a Junior Counselor at Camp. Each year I was in charge of a cabin of twenty girls, who’s ages ranged for 9-12 years old. By being a counselor, I had the opportunity to use my leadership role to help many kids see what opportunities there was in 4-H. Since then many of the campers have become very involved and some have even received awards at the State Fair. I didn’t go to camp just to say I completed some many community service hours this summer, but to be a “big sister” to the campers and help then grow as a person. The skills I will gain in this program will help me be a better counselor.

Community service is also very important to me, because it gives something back to my community. Service in a small way will make someone’s day better because you took the time to visit them in the hospital or bring them a newspaper. When I volunteered in my local hospital the elderly patients looked forward to when you came to visit them. I think I got more out of volunteering then the people I helped because I had realized I made a different in someone’s life.

The reason I want to participate in the Leadership program is to gain new leadership and community service skills, and improve on the current ones so when I return to my small home town I can use this tools to make a difference in County.