NECESSITIES OF A SUCCESSFUL LEADER by carol

NECESSITIES OF A SUCCESSFUL LEADER by carol - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

I have learned that perseverance and determination are paramount to success in any aspect of life. Having been faced with many challenges throughout my academic and athletic careers, I have learned to seek out the tools necessary to flourish and accomplish my goals. Whether those tools require me to develop a new skill, impart my knowledge upon a teammate so that we can work together to achieve maximum results as a whole, or remain resilient when faced with a bump in the road, I have never been someone who gives up or allows the people working alongside of me to surrender.

As a student, I have always pushed myself to excel, never taking the easy way out. Choosing classes that challenge me, both in content and time commitment, requires refined time management skills and dedication to succeed. Leadership not only involves the ability to help someone, but also the ability to know when another’s help is necessary or beneficial. All aspects of life require cooperation and dependability. Although my counselor and teachers have on occasion been concerned with my workload and the level of difficulty of my class schedule, particularly when taking my extracurricular activities into account, it gives me great satisfaction to attain what may have been thought as insurmountable. Most recently, I decided to change my schedule a week before school commenced and enroll in AP Calculus. Although I had always been a year ahead in Mathematics and Science courses, I was concerned that I had not learned, let alone mastered many of the concepts necessary to succeed in AP Calculus. Upon obtaining the AP Calculus packet one week before class was scheduled to begin, I emailed the professor and asked to meet with him the first day of class. As anticipated, there were concepts contained within the packet to which I had no prior exposure. During our meeting we discussed my time constraints. I practice three to five times a week, attend pitching lessons, work with a trainer three times a week and play in tournaments during the weekend. After much discussion, he inquired whether “I really wanted to put myself through this” and “did I realize the amount of work and pressure that I was putting upon myself.” I responded by telling the professor that I understood the obstacles with which I was faced but not taking the class was not an option as far as I was concerned. He then asked what I would do if “I failed the class or received a D”, and again I informed him that a poor grade was not acceptable, he responded “okay I will see you tomorrow then.” I remained after school daily, learning the concepts necessary to move forward in the class. I have learned that it is necessary to overcome any obstacles in order to succeed.

I have been a softball player for as long as I can remember. On the field I am determined to win, as well as play to the best of my ability. Striving to get that key hit or catch that game changing pop up, I demand 110% effort of myself and my teammates. Whether my role requires me to teach a skill to another player, learn a new position needed on the field, or pick a teammate up when an error has occurred I lend my support wherever necessary. I have learned that the manner in which I react to a situation determines how a teammate will respond. Rather than demeaning or belittling someone for an error, discussing what could have been done differently, not only helps them to understand how they should have handled the play differently, but allows them to turn a negative into a positive so that the entire tone of the game is not changed detrimentally. As a senior, the underclassman on both my travel and high school varsity softball teams look to me for guidance and direction. I welcome the challenge to influence and inspire them to perform to the best of their ability and with good sportsmanship.

In life, failure is inevitable. Resilience and dependability are necessary to grow and learn from one’s mistakes and errors. On the softball field, one will fail many times. As a pitcher, mental strength is paramount. The ability to bounce back is imperative to success. Leading by example is extremely important. As a student, if your grade is at risk and you do not understand the material, to be a successful you must work harder and devote the time necessary to comprehend the material. As a softball player, dependability is of utmost importance on a team. We must depend upon each other, whether to be there for the flip to second base to get the girl out, or to backup a base in case a teammate makes a bad throw.

Leaders come in many different shapes and sizes. Whether it's a sports team captain, or an intelligent student helping their peers; determination, resilience, and dependability are always needed in some form. All successful leaders and students acquire and show these traits in different ways.