Building Leaders, From the Bottom to the Top. by Lindsay

Building Leaders, From the Bottom to the Top. by Lindsay - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

When I enter Texas A&M University in the Fall of 2015, I will be pursuing one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced- joining the Corps of Cadets. As a freshman in the Corps, students learn the fundamentals of being under leadership- as they get older and progress through the ranks, students learn the fundamentals of becoming leaders. Leadership is a core value at Texas A&M, and is a quality that all cadets must develop. In college, it is important to develop leadership skills, because through out that period in life, people will come to rely on one another for advice and guidance.

Becoming a leader is one of the hardest things to do, but can also be the most rewarding. The Corps of Cadets gives students the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of leadership, as well as respect and teamwork, which play into becoming an excellent leader. Through the hardships and challenges that the cadets are put through, they learn how to respect and listen to their peers and superiors, and these qualities that arise within in these hard times becoming the building blocks that professors and commanders teach build off of.

The Corps of Cadets practically hands students the opportunity to better themselves in the areas of leadership and unity with those surrounding them. As a freshman, you learn who your friends are and who you should trust and respect. Freshman year is also the year that upperclassmen break you down and turn you into clay that can be molded into something greater in the future. Sophomore year and junior year are the years that cadets spend developing the skills necessary to step up and become the commanding force of the organization. And finally, a cadet's senior year is the year they put their training and development to the test. By their senior year, cadets have become like the leaders that were above them when they were freshmen and sophomores.

It is beneficial to develop leadership skills in college because one never knows when they will have to step up and become a valuable part of a small group or community. With leadership comes trust and respect, and qualities such as these make for a smoothly-running, stress free learning environment.