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Being a leader encompasses more than a title in an activity; it involves demonstrating strength and direction through both action

and response. I feel that l have shown proper skills that exemplifies what it means to be a leader during my experiences at Westview High School. One experience that helped shaped my leadership abilities was through my participation in Unity Day. I was fortunate to be selected as one of the few facilitators for this activity to help students learn more about one another and to learn effective strategies for communication. On the morning of Unity Day, the entire sophomore class of 400 students is seated in the gym. The students, with the help of the facilitators, are paired or grouped up with people they are not familiar with, and are led to play various games that focus on 'breaking the ice'. The students are then divided randomly into groups of 10 (including a facilitator) to talk about their struggles and experiences. Students learn that it is important to know someone's story before developing opinions, and it can be overwhelming and emotional to participate in the opening up of everyone's feelings. My job as a facilitator is to encourage students to abandon any fear of judgment and feel comfortable with sharing their experiences. Some of my responsibilities included outlining and executing several lesson plans, participating in games with students, and leading a small group. Problem solving skills are vital in order to be a successful facilitator, and are necessary when students are reluctant to participate in activities. If a particular student is not engaged in an activity, I would respond a manner that would be in accordance to that type of reluctance. If someone was shy, for instance, I would gently encourage them to join the group [HOW?]. I would also ask why they did not feel comfortable joining the group, and then attempt to find a solution to the problem based on what their response. I also help students feel accepted by sharing my own personal stories. I think it is important that a leader does not act superior to others, but provides guidance when necessary. After Unity Day is finished, my duty as a facilitator and friend to the students who were in my group was not finished. I kept in touch with the people that I encountered, and offered them guidance if they needed it. In this way, I showed commitment to the unification of students and to my duty as a facilitator. Although this experience has been challenging at times to work with such a diverse group of individuals, I have gained understanding of the characteristics and qualifications of being a respected leader. I learned that flexibility is an important aspect of leadership, for I needed to

modify my lesson plan when problems arose. In addition, intuition was needed when unexpected scenarios occurred and it was important to be open to change. For this particular experience, it was important for me to connect with the people in my group, to associate myself with them as their peers and express my commitment to the overall theme of the activity. While many of the students shared their stories, I listened attentively to convey interest and to help them feel comfortable within the group. I would say that the most important thing that I have learned is that a positive attitude in all aspects of leadership is crucial to motivate and influence others.

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