What It Takes to Be a Leader by Essense

What It Takes to Be a Leader by Essense - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

My chorus teacher, Dr. Shingles has taught me many lessons over the last four years, but the most important lesson that I learned from him occurred during my senior year of high school. At the beginning of the school year, Dr. Shingles gave me the opportunity to become a leader of the school’s chorus program. Although being in a position like that was out of my comfort zone, I gladly accepted the offer. Immediately, there were obstacles that tested my leadership abilities and put the success of the chorus program in jeopardy. Through these drawbacks, Dr. Shingles taught me that as a leader, sacrifice, responsibility, and confidence are key factors to ensure that the group as a whole is successful.
Every year, my school’s chorus program participates in the District Music Performance Assessment (MPA), and has been successful at the district and state levels. When we first started preparing for MPA, we realized that we weren’t as strong as we’d been in the past. This was due to the fact that there were many who were new to chorus and did not have any musical background. After discussing with the director the areas that we were weak in in our music, we came up with an extensive practice schedule. Even with all the practicing, I provided extra help to students by working with them before and after school, along with during the lunch period to make sure that they were ready for MPA.
When the District MPA came around, I was confident that all the preparation we’d put in would pay off, and I was right. The chorus program received superior ratings in singing and sight-reading and will advance to State. This experience has taught me that leadership is not an easy thing, you have to be willing to take action when you see that something is not right, give up some things to help others, and have faith that your abilities will contribute to the success of the group.