Realizing My Unlimited Potential by Thaddeus

Realizing My Unlimited Potential by Thaddeus - July 2021 Scholarship Essay

My name is Thaddeus Graham and I currently attend Marietta College. Within Marietta College, I was accepted into the McDonough Leadership Program. To be a member of the program, a student must achieve good academic standing with a 3.25 GPA and an evident record of leadership within the community. Prevailing those requirements, I was accepted into the program my sophomore year.

Within the program, one can chose between five distinctive tracks. I opted for the Certificate of Leadership Studies. To achieve the certificate, one must complete four courses regarding required academia and must also contribute fifty hours of community service. Within the courses, I developed a passion for organizational leadership. This passion created a learning experience that was unexpected before joining the program.

After taking a course named Foundations of Organizational Leadership, I found myself curious about the subject and industry. With this curiosity, I contacted different professors and chair members of the program. With these connections, I was able to begin a community outreach program to benefit an organization close to campus.

The organization I decided to select was GoPacks. GoPacks is an organization focused on ending food insecurity for elementary and middle school aged children within Washington County. Having similar interests in benefitting the community, I created a partnership with GoPacks.

After contacting the organization about planning, I created an outreach program. The program consisted of two events. The first event consisted of volunteering students donating their time to organize food packages for children. The second event also consisted of volunteering students. This time the students and I designed tie-dye masks to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

Each event turned out well benefitting those in need. When I applied for the organization, I was unaware of the experiences I would be a part of. I never knew I had the ability to create a partnership with a local non-profit organization. The coursework within the McDonough Leadership Program made me realize the unlimited potential I have to spark change in the community. I look to organize other projects in the future.