I have always been very shy but a few things have helped me come out of my shell and realize that I love being a leader. I joined the marching band in high school which was huge for me. It got me to talk to people and to become used to working in teams and with many different kinds of people. I understood the hard work and dedication that it takes to produce something amazing with a large group of people. I did not realize it then but being a part of something like that really did wonders for me.
I never really wanted a position of power. It seemed really stressful and daunting. I somehow ended up becoming a Resident Assistant anyway. I was convinced by a friend and I am extremely grateful that I took that leap. It was scary at first as well as being completely foreign to me. I never thought that I could do well with a position like that. After a lot of training, I finally grew into the position. I am now the Senior RA and I manage the others. I am also a role model for the community which is something that I have never been before.
My grades in school and how well I do also contribute to my realization. I never thought that I would be someone that other people would look up to or follow but I was proven wrong. My work is shown to other students after the completion of most of my art classes and people ask me for help. If I do not know an answer I try to help them find it if I can. Taking the time to teach is just as rewarding as taking the time to learn. It is awesome being able to share my knowledge and motivate people to make beautiful things!
I have also realized that I like working in groups. This is especially rewarding because you get to be a part of something bigger than just making one thing yourself. I have worked on plenty of groups during my time in college and many of them had people that I had never even talked to. This got me to branch out and become more comfortable about working with others. Working in a group is almost no different from helping your community. You have to help others and deal with your own weight to ensure that the day ends with everyone having succeeded something.
For many years, I have also been really keen on the idea of volunteering at a library or an animal shelter. I love the idea of organizing books and helping people find what they need. Being able to have educated and interesting conversations with new people seems exciting. I also like the idea of being able to help animals and lift some of the burdens off of the shoulders of the tireless workers, especially at no-kill shelters since they have a lot more to deal with. I feel like this is important because people do not really seem to care about libraries anymore along with the fact that no-kill shelters are a lot harder to manage than ones that euthanize. I hope by graduating, that I will have time opened up for me to explore my passions.
I think being at the University of Advancing Technology has made me realize that I am a lot more comfortable taking on leadership positions than I initially thought. I enjoy the feeling of being able to help and motivate people. It is one of the reasons that I love my job so much and is also one of the reasons why I love making art.