Leadership: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility by Sameera

Leadership: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility by Sameera - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

John Quincy Adams once said, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." Over the years, I have experienced many leadership opportunities. To me a leader is someone who inspires, guides, and brings change for the better. I actively attend my mosque and volunteer as a teacher for the Sunday School program. At this weekly school, children are taught about Islam and the Arabic language, which helps them to read The Holy Quran. Working with young children is an extremely rewarding experience because it has taught me patience and commitment. I also began coordinating a girl’s youth group, in which I took responsibility of contacting an Islamic scholar who would come and speak to our community. I plan monthly events such as bowling nights and ice skating. This was something much needed for the younger girls to have a chance to come together and learn about their religion The position I hold at the mosque gives me a chance to have a positive influence on the members as well as the community as a whole. I believe leadership skills are necessary for a college success because it allows students to take control of situations that they have never been in before with ease. Through my experience with volunteering I have realized that acquiring leadership skills has helped me not only in my academic success but in every aspect of life.

I was also involved in the Muslim Students Association at North Seattle Community College, spreading awareness about Islam to erase negative Muslim stereotypes. I helped out in MSA meetings, encouraged students on campus to attend our meetings, and was in charge of bringing in speakers from local mosques. Being a minority, Muslims tend to experience daily discrimination; women who wear hijabs are at its brunt. Viewed as a symbol of oppression indicating that Muslim women are not allowed the freedom of choice in any aspect, hijabs are actually worn as a sign of modesty and self-respect. Holding this position helped me realized what an impact I had on other people, they listened to what I had to say and I feel that especially in a college environment it is important to voice your opinions in order to be successful.