Reasons Leadership Skills are Important for College Success by Europe

Reasons Leadership Skills are Important for College Success by Europe - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

I believe leaders are made, not born. Thus, I do not believe having leadership skills at the start of one’s experience in higher education is pertinent to having a successful college experience and career, however, I do believe it is necessary for students to gain leadership skills throughout their college experience, preferably in the first two years. As a college sophomore, I know first-hand about the leadership skills one can gain from participating in college activities. I have held leadership positions in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Student Senate, and other organizations on campus. The skills I have gained have been invaluable to me. College does not only provide the platform for learning academically, but also for learning life skills and developing character. Leadership skills are not just the ability to manage a team, but also confidence, time-management, self-motivation, giving and receiving constructive criticism, and many other valuable qualities. A leader can solve problems and critically think about tasks—-this will be useful in education as well as a career, and students should take advantage of the opportunities to gain these skills. Not only will leadership skills help a person through college, but it will also help them secure job opportunities after graduation. Is job security not one of the main reasons one attends college? Thus, employment after graduation is the real completion to the college experience, and being successful at it is pertinent. If leadership skills could make the difference between acquiring the job or not—which it often does—then yes, leadership skills are absolutely necessary for college success.

These leadership skills I have gained have provided me with opportunities to work closely with college administration, which has opened doors for me academically, financially, and in many other ways. It is also due to my leadership skills that I—-as a sophomore in college-- have secured a teaching assistant position at a local university teaching freshmen about biomedical and behavioral science. These skills and opportunities are available to all students—they need only to get involved on campus and actively work to sharpen their leadership abilities. When a student has these abilities, they stand out, and more opportunities are given to the ones who stand out. More opportunities means more chances to be successful. For these reasons, leadership skills are very important for college success.