A Good President is Surrounded by Leaders by Ainsley

A Good President is Surrounded by Leaders by Ainsley - July 2018 Scholarship Essay

A good leader always surrounds themselves with people who are also leaders. While a congregation of leaders all acting at once may seem detrimental, an effective leader recognizes and appreciates the acts of all members of the community who lead in small ways everyday. In a high school, the community is full of leaders who exhibit small acts of leadership on a daily basis. Sometimes a student might sit with someone who is alone at lunch or be the first to speak in a classroom discussion. This may seem like a benign act to some, but these simple acts might influence others to behave in a similar way.
As student body president, I believe that the leaders we have throughout our community are essential to a successful and healthy school culture. Through being president I hope to help everyone become a leader, so our school, and on a wider scale, our generation, can lead as a unit in big and small ways.
The definition of what a leader is, is often muffled in our generation. Contrary to popular belief, a leader is not someone who enforces their own ideas onto others unwillingly, but instead, a leader finds solutions to problems even when no one is watching. A leader ensures that everyone gets the best experience possible so the community is thriving and not just an individual. Leaders are not judgmental and focus on what is right. They are an example of humanitarian acts and show people around them the right way to treat others. They build community.
Effective leader’s care about who they are leading. In high school, it can be hard to care when there is so much academic pressure, but taking time to care about the people they walk the halls with, will enhance the high school experience. If each student in the student body is a leader in some aspect, almost anything is achievable. There will be less bullying and exclusion. Students will advocate for their needs, and there will be more understanding amongst the student body. This environment will not be confined to the high school. Once you learn to accept and care for your community, no matter where you go those values will follow.
As a president, my job is to create the best experience possible for the student body. I would be neglecting my duties if I did not work for a culture where everyone has the power to facilitate change and use their voice in a beneficial way. My job as a president is to make the change the student body wants and to create a community of leaders to enhance our power. While some jobs are easy, like getting a new vending machine that actually works, others that effect the school as a whole, are not a one person job. The President of the United States does not lead alone, so why wouldn’t a high school president encourage the future generation to lead the world in the way they see it?
Everyone’s voice matters in school and out of school. Encouraging and pushing everyone to become a great leader will set students up for a bright future. It creates people who are willing to take the time to understand others, take action, and help by leading in big and small ways. Leaders are important in the world. Not the ones that have an official title, I mean the ones that impact lives on a daily basis even in the tiniest of ways. They are the most important of all.