There is More than One Way to Lead by Tyler

There is More than One Way to Lead by Tyler - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

For the first twelve years of my life I was insulated from reality by a place deemed “The America Riviera”, Santa Barbara. Surrounded by so much wealth I was oblivious to the challenges people around the world face everyday. It wasn’t until I faced adversity that I realized how ignorant I was.

When I entered junior high my dad was diagnosed with brain cancer. My dad began to receive treatment. As a result my dad had to discontinue working. This decision was what was best for my dad’s health, but it had consequences on my family’s financial stability. My mom could only obtain work sporadically at best. My family was faced with dire circumstances; my dad’s health remained uncertain and my family’s economic situation remained in the decline.

My life became filled with uncertainty. Everything became a struggle: finding money for clothes, gas, and even food. With three brothers money was the last thing that needed to become scarce. Nothing was taken for granted. As things became tougher, my family was forced go on food stamps because we simply couldn’t obtain money for food. Dollars had to be stretched, which created frustration to say the least. I would spend hours contemplating the situation. Finally, I came to the realization that there wasn’t anyone to blame, it was just the nature of the situation. I recognized that being frustrated only made the conditions worse and made it harder on my family.

Faced with these circumstances I knew that I needed to help my family in some way. At fourteen, I became motivated to find a job. After turning in numerous applications, I was hired by a local restaurant as a bus boy. It was close to my house enabling me to walk to work. For two summers, and whenever I could throughout the school year, I worked hard and made a small amount of money. I used the money to buy essentials: food, clothes, etc. I was able to save enough money to purchase a car. It enabled me to provide another means of transportation for my family, since my parents were forced to get rid of their car since they could no longer afford it.

After two years of being a bus boy, I was finally old enough to tryout to become a Beach Lifeguard. Being a water polo player and having grown up in the water I was able to excel in the tryouts. After obtaining an interview and performing well I was hired and have been a Beach Lifeguard since. I became the youngest guard on staff. Everyone else was in there twenties and I was only sixteen. It was a great opportunity and it allowed me to do what I love, help people. Not only was I able to respond aquatic emergencies, in addition I was able to be a first responder to medical emergencies.

Many might look at my family’s circumstances as unfavorable. However, every circumstance has a silver lining. Sometimes adversity is what one must face before they can be successful. In many ways my circumstances were beneficial. I learned the value of a dollar and experienced obstacles that people around the world face everyday. More importantly I learned how to be a leader.

Through this I maintained a 4.8 GPA in high school and played water polo full-time. It was not until one day that I was called into the principal office that I realized what I had done. My principal had talked with students, coaches, and teachers. He explained to me that I had set a noticeable example for my peers with my work ethic. Teachers said I changed the learning in their classrooms while my coaches said I inspired my teammates. For me this came as a shock. I didn't feel I was doing any of this. I was just motivated to make the best of my circumstances and essentially do my best at everything I was involved in. This is when I understood how contagious emotions are.

College is a time when many people find themselves. Young adults are exposed to a new kind of freedom. Many people lose their way with this new influx of freedom. They lose sight of their goals and their motivations. People who are able to hold on to their focus are the ones who will be successful, the leaders. It has been shown in studies that people will often set their life trend in college. So by becoming a leader in college one is setting their life trajectory as one of a leader: a leader in their career field, a leader in their community, and a leader for others to learn from.

As a student athlete at the University of Southern California many people around campus look towards me and my teammates to set an example for the entire school. I have learned how my attitude and actions can influence others. Being a leader is contagious and inspires others to become leaders themselves.