The Leader I Aspire to Be by Karyna

The Leader I Aspire to Be by Karyna - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

One chilly evening at my grandparents farmhouse in New Zealand, my grandma told me about Jacinda Ardern, the woman who worked her way up to the position of New Zealand’s prime minister. What fascinates me most about Ardern is that she puts her entire heart into politics; through every policy, she shows that she cares about the well-being of not only her country, but the human race in general. Ardern’s socially progressive ideologies and concern for marginalized groups catalyzed my desire to become more involved with leadership opportunities in my own life.

As the world dealt with the fallout of the pandemic crisis, I followed Ardern’s handling of the situation in New Zealand. Being a remote island, isolated from the rest of the world, some would suspect that New Zealand would not worry about the Coronavirus at all. However, Ardern took a motherly approach to the problem and went into one of the strictest lockdowns. Regarding the issue, Ardern addressed her constituents and explained the seriousness of this crisis’ she did not speak at the people, but rather to the people and for the people. It’s a very simple concept, to provide an inclusive feeling that brings everyone together to work toward the good of all.

She made it clear that she understood that it would not be easy, but that she would be in a tough lockdown right alongside everybody else, and they would all get through safely if they stuck together. This worked extremely well for New Zealand, and saved many lives. When I begin my own career as a school psychologist, I will always remember to bring good listening skills and an approachable manner, just as Ardern does, in order to promote positive change.

My personal leadership experiences have reinforced the concept that the opinions and needs of the greater good are far more important than my own opinions. I think that good leaders must be able to listen to the individual group members’ opinions, make the best decision for the majority, and then inspire people into action to achieve the whole group’s vision for the future.

Throughout my life, I have implemented these qualities into my own leadership roles. As a very active member of the National Art Honor Society for all of my high school years, I was elected as president of the club for my senior year. I took on this role, excited to approach it with passion and interest instead of just taking home the title. As president, I have done my absolute best to lead the other thirty members and have organized several community outreach art activities. Last year, I helped to manage a project where we all crafted, fired, and glazed clay pots which we planted with succulents and gave away as a “thank you” gift for teachers during the last few unprecedented years. This year, as president, I collaborated with the club members to decide what project we all collectively would like to work on. Everyone voted and decided that we were going to paint a colorful wall mural to represent diversity and inclusivity.

Additionally, I have learned that leadership is much more “behind the scenes'' oriented than I had previously thought. This past year, our school newspaper needed writers, so I volunteered to offer assistance and soon found myself stepping into the leadership role of an editor. Although not many people know about the work I do with the school paper, as it is all digital work, I have realized that some of the most important qualities in a leader is the tendency to recognize a need and be the person willing to step up and help out. Subsequently, I have found it to be very rewarding knowing that I am making a difference, even if not many people know it; a good leader never has to announce that he or she is a good leader, but simply works to help others.

Leaders have to make the hard choices for the good of the majority, and then inspire others to take an active role to pursue these goals right alongside their leader. A good leader prioritizes others and steps up to the challenges life presents, and that is exactly the kind of leader I aspire to be.