Character and Leadership by Temidayo

Character and Leadership by Temidayo - May 2024 Scholarship Essay

I have demonstrated excellence in character by being a leader in my own community by learning and accepting others. At Arundel high school, I was a part of the Equity leadership council (ELC) , an all inclusive conglomerate of students with the purpose of creating more equitable environments inside of Arundel High School. I served on the Athletic leadership council (ALC) –a hand selected group of athletic leaders by administration and teachers, across all sports in Arundel high school. And I was an ambassador for the Student Equity Advisory Team (SEAT) –an equity advisory team created from student representatives from each school in Anne Arundel County Public Schools; with a core purpose to help build equitable environments throughout Anne Arundel County Schools . These positions have allowed me to exemplify character traits that define me as a person learning and accepting. My membership in SEAT led to an interview with Dr. Bedell, Anne Arundel County’s Public Schools Superintendent, a core opportunity which displayed these character traits.

When sitting down to interview the Superintendent of Anne Arundel county school district, Dr. Bedell, I was absolutely enthralled. I was getting a rare opportunity to facilitate a discussion with one of the most important people in my county, a man who was named the 2023 Superintendent of the Year by the National Association of Black School Educators. While most would ask themselves. Am I even qualified? Why was I even chosen to do this? Can I even do this? I couldn't figure out what 3 out of 3 million questions I had for him. My passion for learning from people has blessed me with opportunities to learn, lead and contribute to different communities. The ability to sit and have heart-pouring conversations about issues that affect my county school system is just one way that I have demonstrated an excellence in character.

Picking the brains of professionals around me, getting useful information about their expertise on any subject matter is a character trait that has helped me to understand ways that I can be a positive influence in my community this understanding has helped shape my ability to lead in my community, and would continue to help me in the real world. My conversation with Dr. Bedell taught me accountability and the value of education. He didn't have the luxury to make excuses throughout his childhood, rather he took advantage of the power of education to propel him forward in life. That growth mindset along with seriousness about education is something I've carried throughout my day to day life. Helping me take my own learning seriously as well as stress the importance of learning to my peers, whether that's on the ELC or SEAT.

Learning and accepting go hand in hand in order to have the character trait of wanting to learn, you must accept people and be open minded about their ideas. Consequently I have grown and learned to accept those around me even if their views aren't in line with mine. Notable Hampton University alumni, educator, and author Booker T. Washington once said “You can't hold a man down without staying down with him”. This means that whenever you purposely discredit, dismiss and disregard others you in turn do the same to yourself. Learning works the same way, stifling the opinions of others, disregarding opposing viewpoints, all together holding biases will stunt your own growth and learning. This assertion has made accepting people for who they are, a key leadership trait in my life. In ALC and ELC this is especially true, in ALC I listen to the perspectives of my peers on leadership in their respective sports. While in ELC when interacting with different communities, I am able to actively listen, accept and respect others opinions regardless of race or sexuality.

In conclusion I have and will continue to display excellence in character due to my value in learning acceptance and leadership. This scholarship will help me exponentially in reaching my goals of majoring in finance and pursuing a career where I will use and build upon these values.