The Harmony of Different Perspectives by Folasade

The Harmony of Different Perspectives by Folasade - March 2024 Scholarship Essay

As a rising high school senior with the need to interact with diverse people from different backgrounds, I have nurtured an understanding of the importance of communication. This understanding was shaped by a challenging experience as drum major of my high school marching band.

Being a drum major is not just about having fun and hyping up a crowd, but it is a journey that broadens your perspective and embraces leadership skills. It comes with the responsibility of managing a large group of diverse people. With this comes contrasting views and perspectives. There are so many instances where I have had to work with people who I disagreed with or didn’t completely understand, but one particular instance stands out amongst the rest. It was a pinnacle of disagreement with my fellow drum major, the first we ever experienced, that showed me a valuable lesson on the power of communication.

The disagreement revolved around the pressures of being a drum major. We both felt overwhelmed with the tasks we had to do, and due to this we took out those frustrations on each other. Tempers flared and voices raised. In the heat of the discussion, it became increasingly hard to concentrate and speak logically. It came to the point where our emotions got the better of us, and tears rolled down both our faces. We realized that the conflict was getting the better of us, and that we needed to calm down and have an open-hearted discussion - one without stubbornness.

In this moment of patience, we actually listened to one another. We talked about our feelings, anxieties, and expectations, trying to understand how the other person was feeling. We realized that we both felt the same way; our feelings were both rooted in the same things. We didn’t think all that different from one another.

This experience was a significant milestone for my personal and professional growth. It taught me an important lesson about communication and emphasized how understanding' perspectives other than your own helps to foster harmony.

I had always cherished my leadership duties, but this experience elevated my skills to another level. Today, I am far more capable of collaborating with people who think differently and to view situations from diverse perspectives. This experience directly amplified my leadership skills and helped me become closer with my fellow leader.

This experience not only transformed me to a better leader but also a more compassionate person, who uses empathy, respect, and open communication to make the world a better place. As I march forward in my future, acknowledging the melodies of different perspectives and finding perfect harmony through communication, I will always remember the lesson I learned.