Considering all that you have done as a Link Leader...
What’s next? Literally, what are you going to do with the skills you have started to develop through this semester with Link Crew? DO NOT REFLECT—LOOK FORWARD. Be as specific as possible with your plans for leadership in your future.
Where I Am Going
ReplyDeleteThroughout Link this year, I acquired many valuable skills that I will be able to apply to future plans as a leader. The skills were easy to develop here because of all the people that were with me helping me find out what type of leader I truly am. I learned many valuable skills, however, the three most important skills that are pertinent to my success in leadership at a later time are: the ability to make new friends within the group that I am leading, along with my peers; the ability to speak in front of peers without fear; and also the ability to connect with those that I am leading.
The first and I believe to be the most important of the three is the ability to create friends in those that I am leading. This is crucial to being a good leader, because it not only helps the followers have faith in you, but it also insures that they will be supportive of you as well. This can be applied in many different scenarios and all of them lead to being a better leader. For instance, if I were not able to make friends in my peers and those that I am leading, I would not be suited well for the Air Force Academy. The academy is full of people that are struggling to get through school and working hard to maintain a rigorous course load. If you are not able to make friends with these peers and eventually those that are going to be under your control, it will be impossible to get through because you will have to go through it alone. I believe that if I am able to friend others at the academy, it will make my college career much more enjoyable, and much more manageable.
Not only do I believe that making friends is important, but speaking in front of peers without fear is also crucial. Speaking in front of pears is probably one of the scariest things that I have done in my life. Nothing I have ever done has compared to this. However, when I joined link, I was scared to talk in front of my peers, but having to talk in front of a group of freshman made me realize that there is nothing to be afraid about, that there is nothing truly frightening about speaking in front of those that I trust and can trust to motivate me through it. Speaking in front of these freshman helped me over come this fear, and this is an essential ability that I needed to have acquired by the time I started college. Not only will this help me college with talking to teachers or maybe even an entire group, but it will help me beyond this. My uncle is now an assistant to a congress man and has told me that he even needs help sometimes going through and getting psyched for his speeches. If I am going to join the government, this is a crucial part that is one of the only determining factors in getting votes, and that is why it is so important to be able to speak in front of others.
What I believe to be another important quality in a leader is the ability to connect with those that are being led. Some may argue that this is the most important attribute, because it is one of the main things that people look for in a president. It is something that can determine if they are going to be a good president or if they are going to be a lousy one. The more a president can connect with his fellow peers, the more he can win votes and also determine what the right course of action for his country is. Even though I will probably never become president, I might make it pretty high up in the ranks of the air force. If I am going to do that, I need to know how to connect to new cadets and also the others that I am going to lead. It will make it so much easier to lead and for others to be led.
I truly believe that these are the attributes that will make or break a great leader. Their ability to inspire others is based upon these three simple qualities that can easily be attained but still remain elusive to those that do not look for them, and that is why I believe that link has helped me tremendously in preparing for my future as a leader.
Link Crew has equipped me with the skills and experience necessary to grow as a leader. Through various exercises, lessons and first hand experiences, I have learned the crucial qualities of being a leader. Because of this, I have also learned about myself and who I am as a young woman, a daughter, a friend and a leader.
ReplyDeleteLink Crew has given me the confidence necessary to challenge myself and continue with my leadership. I am currently in the application process for being a mentor for a non-profit organization: Spread Your Wings. This organization was created by Piper Billups, NBA point guard Chauncy Billup’s wife. The organization is about working with underprivileged young girls, preparing them for a successful and bright future. This organization is very close to my heart because of my experience volunteering with Urban Peak, a runaway teenage shelter. I am determined to work with these young girls to prevent them from possible future harm. The application process is very thorough because they are looking for genuine leaders who are centered, experienced and knowledgeable. In my application I talked about my experience with Link Crew and how it has changed me as a person and how I have grown as a leader. Link Crew has given me the confidence and experience that they are looking for in this organization. If I am selected as a mentor I will use the skills Link Crew has instilled in me to connect and lead these young girls. Being a mentor to these girls is exciting and nerve racking however I can confidently apply knowing that I have the experience necessary to excel as a mentor and leader.
Link Crew has also prepared me for the work field because I know how to adapt to different circumstances and work with people who may think and act differently than me. Watching "The Apprentice" in Link Crew revealed to me how if you are not a team player, adaptable and supportive, a task is not easily accomplished. I know going into a job or a project how I must act and interact with my team mates. I can now enter a job with experience working with others and the confidence to lead a project, task, etc.
My future because of Link Crew consists of mentoring opportunities, confidence in the job market and a life time of connecting with others. I have learned to work with others, lead others, and have confidence in myself because I know I can be an asset to any team because of Link Crew. I have seen firsthand the power of connecting with others and how anyone can be a leader when we communicate and connect. I will always remember to fill my relationship bank accounts whether they are with the Spread Your Wings foundation, co-workers, family, friends or team mates. Link Crew will forever give me confidence to meet new people and seek new opportunities to be a leader.
I have learned a lot this year through link crew, it has taught and helped me more than I was expecting. Link crew is an amazing program and I will use the skills it has taught me to make my life better as well as others.
ReplyDeleteI have a part time job at Colorado Journey mini golf. I have to deal with the public every single day I work there. Link crew has taught me to be patient with people and to try to help them, not to go off on them. There are some crazy things I have had to deal with, like people getting really mad at me and throwing their golf clubs on the ground and leaving because I couldn’t give them a discount because their card was expired. It took a lot for me not to say something, I was thinking along the lines of telling him he is the example for this kids and look how you’re behaving. Fortunately I kept myself from saying something before rude before I left but did give him nasty glare as he left that I now regret. Through link crew, I have learned patience. Many of my freshmen were rude or didn’t want to have anything to do with me, but I learned that it’s okay. People will be rude and there is nothing you can do about, confronting them about it won’t change anything, it will usually make things worse. There were many times I got frustrated with my freshman but I held that back and did my best to ignore it. I believe that next time I have a rude costumer; I won’t have as much as a problem holding back my thoughts giving them a dirty look. I can help those that I work with that have trouble dealing with rude costumers by teaching them the techniques I begun to develop.
Link crew has taught me to be more outgoing; I am normally a quiet person who doesn’t like to attract a lot of attention. I have a hard time making friends because I am so timid. Now that I have been through link crew, I can use these new outgoing skills to put help others that are quiet that it is okay to put yourself out there. You can be the first one to strike up a conversation with a total stranger. I want to use my skills to teach others not only to better their lives, but to also better my own.
Link crew has been all about connections. Connections to freshman (other people), connections to other leaders, and connection to self. As I look into the future, I know I will be presented with multiple opportunities to lead, and to tell you the truth I am nervous for that, but Link Crew has helped me to realize how to handle being a leader.
ReplyDeleteFirst things first, I have learned that in the future I need to present myself with energy and keep the energy level high. High energy levels are contagious and uplifting; they influence everyone around you in a positive manner and create an upward spiral in the room.
The whole point of being a leader is to lead other people. Leading other people starts with the relationship. You can’t just lead for your own sake; people want someone they can look up to and be friends with. Developing the friendship is the most important part of leading because it lets your friend know that they aren’t just some person helping somebody else lead. Taking the time out of your schedule, intentionally, lets your friends know that you genuinely care about them.
Next, I can’t sacrifice internal sensitivity just to be a good leader. Doing that actually makes me a worse leader. Focusing and harnessing my feelings and emotions to lead is the best way to lead. It shows a true, real, genuine person that cares enough about you that they will let you into their life. Now it’s not so easy to invite random people into the extreme sensitivity of your internal thoughts and battles in your mind. There’s so much power they hold with knowing who you are, but it is essential to enjoying life.
Connecting with other leaders, involved with anything having to do with leading (which is almost everything), is crucial to staying sane as a leader. Leaders can connect with other leaders because they are struggling through the same exact things. Interacting and talking with other leaders is one of the best ways to deal with the stress that comes with leadership. This is hardest for me. I can connect with other people, I can try to connect with myself, but when it comes to connecting with other people I struggle. I’m too worried about if they’re a better leader than me or not, or what they’ll think of me and if they’ll reject me. As I move forward, away from the circle in which my life takes place I don’t know what I’ll do. It seems healthy to connect with leaders that are not like me, which is very difficult. But that’s what I’m going to try to do. I’ll get discouraged sometimes, but you know what, that’s what happens in this roller coaster.
So thank you Link Crew. I’m not the master leader and I don’t have it perfect but I’m sure Link Crew and Leadership class will forever change the way I lead.
I was very lucky to have the opportunity to start out as a Link Crew leader during my junior year because I now have the opportunity to not only use this after high school, but I can also apply what I have learned to my final year in high school. I have gained so much knowledge from the freshmen that can be applied to Link Crew in the future, but I have also learned from class how to better work with other leaders and make myself happy so that I can be more able to help others.
ReplyDeleteThrough working with the freshmen I have learned what they need from upperclassmen to feel comfortable in the school and fully adjust. Next year if I am chosen to be a Link Crew leader, or possibly a commissioner, I will know more specifically how I can help the freshmen, and on that first day of orientation, I will be able to provide more information that I think will be relevant to those incoming freshmen. Then when they do go into their first day of school, they might still have a multitude of questions running through their brain, but lots will be answered, and hopefully they will be open to asking me, as my link crew students were felt comfortable doing this past year. I think that this will help me to be more of an effective Link Leader as I will know more specifically what the freshmen (well the majority of them) will want from me, going into their first year of high school.
The in-class lessons have been and will be very applicable for me over this next semester, and my senior year, and the second lesson on working with other leaders is very applicable to me. I am the Communications officer for FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and in that position it is required of me to be able to work efficiently with each other officer along with all of the hundred plus members of FBLA. I hope to be one of the co-presidents for FBLA next year, and that position would cause me to need excellent leadership skills in working with other leaders. In-class we have learned many ways to work with leaders that have methods that look identical to our own or exact opposite of our own. In a president position I will need these skills to deal with a large officer group that is filled with a large variety of different leaders. The knowledge I gained from class this semester will help me to do that going into next year.
The third in-class unit that we did, on connecting to ourselves, made me think about how I as a leader need to nourish myself so that I can be doing my best when I am working with other leaders. I have discovered that while I might work great with other leaders in situations, I also need time to reflect to make sure that I am not overloading on the work and responsibilities so that I can prevent myself from being stressed. Therefore going into next year whether I am accepted into Link Crew again, a co-president of FBLA, or any other group that I am a part of in a leadership position I will set aside the time to gather my thoughts and prevent myself from reaching that stressed mode. If I am not stressed while working with a group I am much more fun to be around as I do not have a lot on my mind besides whom I am directly working with. As a leader this will give me more opportunity to make a difference in the lives of either the freshmen, or even possibly make FBLA a more enjoyable activity for others to take part in.
Overall, I think that Link Crew has prepared me very well for all of my future leadership roles, both in Link Crew and other groups that am a part of. I will be able to go into any other position with knowledge about leading and working well with others so that despite what the task may be, I will be able to utilize the knowledge I have gained to make me a better and perhaps more efficient leader.
Link Crew has given me many skills to use in the future. I have gained experience in public speaking and teaching classes, I have learned ways to work well with large groups of people, and I have learned the value in leading not just others, but myself as well.
ReplyDeleteEven though Leadership class is over, I plan to continue to further use my skills within Link Crew. I will use public speaking to help recruit stores and restaurants to donate food and goodies to the Teacher Talent Show. This will also require a large amount of teamwork with my fellow commissioners because we have many stores all around the metro area to visit. I will continue to attempt to achieve synergy with the commissioners and the Link Crew sponsors as the semester draws to a close and we need to run interviews for new commissioner applicants. I will help set up the transition for the next wave of Link Leaders.
Outside of Link Crew, I plan on continuing to be a leader in academics. I want to continue to put forth an effort in school; I plan to avoid senioritus as much as possible. I want to keep my grades up for the colleges I have applied to in order to demonstrate that I strive to always excel.
I want to continue to be involved in the Arapahoe community. I plan on continuing to help set up and participate in school events; whether those are sports, plays, concerts, fundraisers, or charity events. I want to be a part of it all. I want to leave Arapahoe with memories of the community and my leadership within that community.
As college begins, I will use many of the techniques and strategies we teach the incoming freshmen to help myself, as I acclimate to the college environment. I plan on joining my college’s community. Link Crew got me really involved within the Arapahoe community and I discovered that my high school life was much more enjoyable due to my involvement. I wish to carry this enjoyment into my college experience. I want to be a leader within that community, whether that is through sports, other clubs, or academics.
Link Crew has been very important to me. I plan to hold onto the values and bonds I have gained through the program. I hope to use this experience, in which I have learned so much, to continue to be a leader within all of the future communities I am involved in.
Throughout the countless activities we have participated in as Link leaders, I have taken away more than I could have imagined. I have learned new things about myself each day. I learned about others and ways to collaborate and work my best with others. With all that I have learned, I am taking it and running.
ReplyDeleteMy future is so far away, and yet so close. With just a semester to go before I am a senior, it is time to begin looking into what my future holds, and how I can apply leadership I have learned all about to my life. I have college on its away coming at me faster than I have realized. Before I know it, I will be into the real world with my own job, my own family, and so many more decisions to make on my plate. Although I will no longer be in the class Link Crew, I have gained so much as a leader, and will continue to apply it for the rest of my life.
As a senior, I will be a leader of the school. I am “top dog”, ahead of all other classes. I be able to represent Arapahoe High School by being as encouraging and uplifting to as many students as I can and helping others through all that I have had experience with. I can make a trail for others to follow and hopefully guide them in the right direction. People will fall into pressures of those around them and change, all I can do is be a positive strength, and do my best to lead by the example I have learned to become. After High School as had its time, I will move on to College where I will once again be the youngest, a freshman. Only this time, it means something different. I have been a freshman and then I have been a leader of them and learned out to inspire and encourage them. Now being in their shoes again, I will use all that I have learned about myself and others to be successful. I know my strengths and personality a little better, and I know what motivates me. I have to show others that maybe college isn’t so scary after all. I will be a light that others find refreshing. I will connect with people that may feel outside of society and make them realize that not one person is any better than themselves.
When school has come to an end, leadership is still just beginning. I will find a job and realize that no work place is perfect. I will apply my leadership to guide the company, or others I work with to be the best we can be. I will be able to be positive and look at things in a different way than others. Simple skills of leadership such as connecting with others or respecting all around you, can make a world of difference. As well as holding a good job, ink my future I plan to be a parent. My leadership skills will be very important as I provide a living example for my kids, so they can grow to be confident, respectful, and successful.
There is no area in my future, in which leadership doesn’t apply. It seems to be a necessity, as well as a helpful tool as I encounter many phases throughout my life. I look forward to living my future as a leader, and seeing what all is in store for me.
Taryn Phipps
Considering all that I have done as a Link Crew Leader this semester, in the future I can only become a stronger leader and continue to build on what I have learned this year in our Leadership class. I will accomplish this through my plans for next semester, senior year, and after High School.
ReplyDeleteI was a little scared for next semester; I have to admit, because we won’t have our class. We will not have teachers reminding us to text our freshmen or invite them places, so I will have to do this all on my own. I know that I have learned a lot about what it means to be a leader and I will be able to apply them next semester to stay in contact with all the new people I have met and continue to grow and become a stronger leader. I remember when I was a freshman my Link Leaders did not talk to me at all, so I want to change that and be a better leader now and for the future of our club. I have some fun activities planned for next semester that I hope to do with my freshmen such as bowling and movies. I will also continue to be a role model for them and be there to talk to them. I think it’s really important that I keep talking with them because some of them are so grateful that they have me as a friend when they are not quite fitting in yet.
Next year, for my senior year, it is one of my biggest goals and aspirations to become a commissioner for Link Crew. I am so confident in everything I have learned and I think that I will be able to apply my leadership skills well as a commissioner and bring my own personal spunk and understanding of Link Crew. Watching all the commissioners this year have so much fun and bring so much life to Link it inspired me. I need to uphold Link for years to come after mine and be an energetic leader like they were. After senior year I hope that I have inspired my little sister at home, who is a freshman this year, to follow in my foot steps and become a Link Leader because it truly is a wonderful life changing experience. She already looks up to me so much and I know she would be perfect for this job.
After High School I am still not sure where I will be going or what I do when I get there, but one thing that I have wanted to do for a while is take a semester off college and lead a group to do mission work. If I do this I know it will be hard because I am going to have to really step up my leadership skills to pull a group together and get everything accomplished whatever that may be. When I get to college I hope there will be some sort of leadership program that I can join there because this has become part of my life and I know I can help change a lot with my skills I have learned.
Link Crew is truly an amazing group. It was a joy to come to class each weeks and see how much fun we can have but also be serious and really get everything done. I know that we have made a giant impact on the lives of many people at this school and I hope in the future I can continue to make an impact through this year in Leadership.
Link Crew is not just a group that makes you look good on your college applications, it is more than that. Link Crew is the opportunity to improve yourself and reach beyond the limits you once imposed on yourself. Leadership is a difficult task that not all can master. Mastering these skills is something that I will forever put into use and cherish.
ReplyDeleteFor my future plans leadership skills will be of great use. In many classes I have always been the shy, observant student; with the confidence that leadership class has given me that will no longer be me. I do not plan on being the student who watches others experience high school. Something I am very passionate about is charity and giving to others the things that I cherish most: life, love and a caring, uplifting environment. Many people are oppressive to missionaries but that is of no importance. Leaders stand up for what they believe in whether or not society approves. I am going to stand up for my love of Christ and spread His light and love. It takes courage to travel, near or far, to spread this kind of love. It is a fearful task but being confident in who I am helps tremendously. In order to be successful you can't walk on others but you must not let others stomp all over you. I have always been a people pleaser but these ways are slowly but surely changing. I want to lead not follow or obey. It is a thrilling task to stand up to others and hold true to your beliefs. A huge part of my faith is living what I believe. This may sound like the fundamental part to faith, which it is, but it is much harder than it sounds. This newfound confidence has worked wonders with my faith and will continue to do so. Another part to being a leader in the here and now is standing up for others in the Arapahoe community who cannot stand up for themselves. High school is the time of catty girls, obnoxious boys, and popularity contests. As easy as it is to fall under one of these categories it is important to stay true to who I am and not follow the crowd. This has applied more and more as I have moved up the ladder of seniority. It's so funny to watch the freshmen make fools of themselves in an attempt for attention and remember myself at that stage. The maturity difference in myself is tremendous and this can partly be attributed to the lessons of leadership class. I plan to keep on this path of originality and being myself. Loving and cherishing who I am will take me farther than changing myself for those who don't matter. As Doctor Seuss says “Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”
This ultimate lesson can be applied to all aspects of life: sports, school, home life and the plethora of relationships I have built. I will keep this in my heart as I continue on this journey of life with my college experience, family experience and my continuous journey of faith.
Now that I have completed Link Crew and come to class every Thursday learning skills that will improve my leadership role not only as a person but as a friend and an individual, that will always help me in life no matter what I am doing. The first day that I stepped into the role as being a Link Crew leader it showed that you have to open up and be relaxed while leading. That is a valuable thing to know because if you are yourself while leading people will understand faster where you are coming from instead of trying to figure out what is behind the wall that you are putting up. This will not only help me next year when I’m off to college but in the work field as well. Every skill that was learned this semester is valuable in its own way. One of the biggest topics that we discussed in class was looking at yourself in the mirror. Sometimes you need to take a step back and understand where you are at before going forward. I would always try and look at others and evaluate the situation to realize what I needed to do better but that wasn’t always the case. That is where Link Crew truly helped me. Now when I am trying to figure out a problem the first place I am going to look at is myself because if I correct the problem from the source it will help everyone out. I believe that everyone doesn’t get this opportunity to be in Link Crew and this specific skill dealing with self to self issues will help me in the long run. Finally, everyone is the same person when it comes to helping. When I worked back to school night I felt like when I was helping direct the parents to class rooms or asking questions it was just like orientation day when the freshman where in the same position. It doesn’t matter who you are but helping and leading people can always be done. Link Crew was an opportunity that shouldn’t be passed up because it teaches valuable life skills that you can take away and remember. I know that I will take everything I learned away and try to apply it further down the road wherever that may lead me.
ReplyDeleteThe most important life skill link has taught me is reading people, their body language and words, to help me understand what they are feeling and thinking. With this skill I can also take appropriate action to help that person. This skill will help me to make friends, protect my own feelings, and possibly help people. Along with understanding peoples feelings, comes being outgoing; I can't be afraid to ask that person if they are truly feeling what I think they are feeling.
ReplyDeleteThinking of college, this skill will be highly important. Not as much helping others, until I become good friends with them, but helping myself. When I can read people I can tell if they are being true to me, or if they are just fake, that way I can prevent wasting my time on someone who doesn't care. Also, by showing that I can help a person and that I do care about what they are feeling I can make friends and keep friends, because they know that I care. Going into a college that is small and where “no body knows anybody” can be a very scary situation. However, the skills that link has taught me like: freshman orientation, and in a way forcing them to interact with each other, connecting with people in class, again in forceful awkward ways, has taught me not to be afraid of other people but embrace them. Of course, I will not walk up to my new room mate and use the 64 square challenge to help them to get to know me and bond; but, I will face the fact that I'm going to be living with this person for the next year and not be as shy and closed as I used to be.
Leadership, to me, does not have to be something monumental. Leadership is taking initiative in your own life, showing others that you are genuinely there for them, and setting good examples. Along with teaching me to interact with other people it has taught me to be respectful to myself and do what is good for me, maybe others will follow my “good example”, and maybe my choices will not be what is right for them. Either way it has taught me to make good choices for myself, and toward others, to help my life grow. I know I will use these skills constantly through college. I can not tell what my life after college brings, but I hope these skills will not only continue to stick with me but grow and mature with my changing life.
Considering all that I have done as a link leader, I am now able to take a glance into the future to see how my leadership skills can be used in other aspects of my life. Something that really excites me is co-leading a small group. Small groups come out of Denver K-life which is a middle/high school youth group. The youth group meets together as a whole but then breaks down into smaller groups made up of 3 to even 13 people. I am taking on the role of leading a small group for eighth grade girls next semester. This position will definitely be challenging but it will be extremely fun as well. I think that link crew has really helped me prepare for this challenge. Because I have had experience working with thirteen incoming freshman, I think I will easily be able to connect with eighth grade girls and give them helpful hints for high school as well!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not know my plans for the summer as of now, working at a camp has gone into a lot of consideration. I would be a Kanakuk counselor for either one or two months. I believe that this is a big risk, but something I would really be willing to take. In class, we learned that in order to be a bold leader, it is necessary to step outside your box once in a while. Going out of my comfort zone is something that I usually don’t like to do and being with elementary kids 24/7 for even a month would definitely be something different for me. However, I believe that I could have such a big influence on these kids. I have learned so many leadership skills in Link Crew and by working with these kids while staying true to who I know I am as a leader, I know that this could be an amazing experience.
Looking a little bit further into my future, I can see myself leading mission trips. My sister just led a mission trip for about twenty college kids in Guatemala this summer. I have really looked up to Rachel for doing this because I know it took a ton of boldness. However, it is something that I have always wanted to do as well. It would really force me to have confidence in who I am as a leader. But by already being involved in Link Crew, I feel as though I already developed a significance amount of confidence. I feel very comfortable speaking in front of large crowds of people which is something that usually takes years to do.
As you can see, I already have a lot of things on my mind that require leadership skills. And there are even more to come. Link Crew has taught me the excitement, challenges, hard work, and rewards that come when being a leader and I can’t wait to see this play out in my future.
I have learned many things while being a Link Leader and I have also learned good, and bad personality traits about myself that help me to be a good leader. To be a leader I have learned that I need to be able to step out of my comfort zone. I can be goofy and not worry about being “cool”. I learned that I am a very empathetic person. It was not an easy semester trying to become friends with freshman that I had never met before in my life. It ended up being very rewarding though because I learned so much from the experience.
ReplyDeleteI have been volunteering for about three and a half years now. I volunteered at a nursing home for three years, and now I currently volunteer at a hospital. Link Crew has taught me different ways I can interact with the patients at Littleton Hospital. Most of my volunteering is bringing patients water and blankets. But there is also a lot of interaction because many of them want to just have someone to talk to for a few minutes. Link Crew gave me conversation skills, such as start up topics, which will help me with volunteering.
Another thing that I am looking forward to doing is getting out of my comfort zone. I used to not be able to recognize the difference between a comfort zone and a boundary. Link Crew helped me determine the difference and what I am comfortable with. I will continue to be able to say “no” to things I do not want to be a part of, such as drinking. I have learned that these kind of things are not me, and being able to say “no” is something that makes me who I am. I have learned that the reason it is sometimes difficult to communicate with certain people is because of “clashing” personality traits. In the future I will be able to recognize these traits and work with them rather than against them. For instance, sometimes it can be hard to communicate with some of my friends with very strong personalities because I have a strong personality. Since Link Crew, it has been a lot easier to listen, and to get what I have to say across in a calm and rational way.
In a year and a half I will be going to college. I am going to be at a big school with people I have never met before which I know is going to be intimidating. I can now 100% confidently say that I have all the skills I need to interact with people I do not know. I have formed friendships with other Link Crew Leaders that I know I will always keep in touch with. Now I am prepared to make those kinds of connections with others. I have learned so much this semester, and the connections I have now have made it completely worth it.
"There is nothing we can do better than seeking to become still better than we are.”(Socrates) After completing three years of Link Crew, especially this semester I have realized that the only thing I can really control is myself, my attitude and my growth. Learning about self to self connection I really came to a better understanding of myself, and who I am as a person and a leader. Yes I can be a leader and have an influence on people, but that is only if they are receptive to me, which is out of my control. I can work on my skills so I can reach the people that are closed off, but still that is me working on me and making myself better. Not making them more open in anyway. Like Socrates says above, we can’t do anything better than becoming even better than we are, we can never we satisfied with who we are and where we are in life. We can always improve and always strive to become a bigger version of ourselves. And that is what I plan to do, in each experience I will encounter in the future, last semester of senior year, college, any team I am on, or class I am in, I will be a leader. Not because I will have people follow me, and not because I am actually leading anyone, but because I will improve myself continuously to be what it means to be a strong leader. I can only focus on myself and if people are lifted up by what I do, then I am doing a good job and making a difference. And if I have no effect then I am not doing the best I can do, and not being the best I can be, so I will work to achieve that. To make it clear, I will not be doing this for the enrichment of myself, but for the benefit of others, I am just stating that the only thing I can control is myself, so if I make myself the best person I can be and lead and lift people up in the process then I am doing my job.
ReplyDeleteThis year I have learned many different things through Link Crew and although the lessons learned were designed to fall into two categories, connecting with others and connecting with yourself, all aspects of learning can be applied to almost any situation. So what’s next?
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing my high school career and graduating this coming spring, I plan on taking a semester and going up to a place in Winter Park Colorado called Timberline Lodge. I will be spending a year living there that involves many different things. Some of the things that I will be doing are taking classes to grow as a person and in my faith, weekly ministry to Denver whether it is youth or adults, outdoor activities, and local service to the Winter Park community. I believe that this semester is has thoroughly prepared me for this coming year. I know that because of my Link Crew experience I will be able to thrive in this time at Timberline Lodge. I have the ability to connect better with the people around me and can have a huge impact on their lives. I foresee myself being able to make deep lasting connections with the people that I will be serving in Denver and the Winter Park community. I also know that I because of this semester in Link Crew I have a more developed leadership skill set than I did before I started, this will come in handy when doing outdoor activities and other things at Timberline Lodge. I believe that I will be able to effectively rally the people around me to complete a task. One of the things that I am looking forward to the most though is the fact that I will have the opportunity to influence the people around me and help them to grow personally, I will be able to apply what I have learned about connecting with others to them and then help them learn about connecting with themselves and then others too. I’m excited that I will be able to pass on what I have learned. So what is to come after a year at Timberline Lodge?
After taking this year to develop myself as a person and grow stronger in my faith I will then be on my way to a career as a firefighter. While working as a firefighter I will be able to put what I have learned in Link Crew this semester into action every day. Being a firefighter requires a lot of leadership skills specifically connecting to others. When we get a call it is important that we can come in and connect with a patient right away with little to no difficulty, that way we can render them the best care possible. We also need to be able to connect with others because we are a large part of the community that we are in. All people look up to firefighters and therefore we must know how to connect with each and every person we come in contact with. Being a firefighter is not about you, it’s about others and making someone’s day a little bit brighter when the dark clouds have moved in. I also foresee this semesters learning content helping me in my future as a firefighter when I try to promote. When you are promoted in the fire service you are responsible for not only yourself, but other guys that you work with. Being able to connect with everyone is important because you will be leading them all the time, even into life threatening situations. They will be relying on me and being a well developed leader is important.
I am so thankful for the learning opportunities and life experience that Link Crew has given me and I can’t wait to pass it on to others as well. I really am going to miss Link Crew.
Arapahoe High School's Link Crew program is a highly effective way to segue freshman and transfer students into high school and help them develop confidence and a desire to get involved. Such a program is immensely beneficial to the freshman because without it many would feel lost and/or confused about the inner workings of the school they are about to attend. However, the freshman aren't the only ones befitting, their leaders are as well. Embodying what it means to be a link crew leader has left me with skills that will carry me far beyond the Link program, and past Arapahoe in general. Skills such as recognizing my leadership style, collaborating with other leaders, and getting organized will assist me through the remainder of Arapahoe, college, and whatever comes next.
ReplyDeleteLink Crew Leaders develop a particular set skills that allow them to connect with other freshman, other leaders, and themselves. Such skills aren't ephemeral, I will continue to reflect and use the teachings of Link Crew to help guide me. One skill I won't soon forget is to recognize what type of leader I am. The ability to see your strengths and avoid weakness is crucial to becoming a great leader. In Leadership class we discovered what type of personality we were which also helped us figure out what kind of leader we were. I am a plan making, left-brained leader that likes to have control. As totalitarian as that sounds, its true; but this want for control is a weakness that I learned to overcome. Through Link I learned that to delegate jobs is a much more affective way to lead. This skill of letting people help me will allow me to finish AHS successfully, as well as college, and later on in the workplace. Link Crew also taught me how to collaborate, which is definitely a skill that I can use in the future. All great leaders had a council, or a board of trusted advisors that help them on tough decisions. A great leader has to collaborate in order to hear other ideas. What's great about the world is how different everyone is. If one leader is making all the decisions, the decisions will most likely not be a smart in comparison to those generated by a group of minds. Collaborating with other leaders will allow me to reach greater conclusions in the future and hopefully guide me to success in future group projects. Another important quality a leader must carry is the skill of organizing. My organizing skills that I attained from Link Crew will definitely benefit me in the future. Although many thrive on clutter, that could never be me. In order to leader everything for me needs to be linear. I learned this about myself in Link crew while inviting freshman to events and coordinating with my partner. Organization is a skill that will accompany past all schooling, but in most aspects of life. Leadership has left me with the knowledge that organization is how I personally thrive. In the future I know that in order to get things done there must be a level of organization for me to succeed. Knowing this ahead of time will better prepare me for whats to come. The skills I developed in Link Crew are priceless, they are skills that I believe any great leader should have.
Although Leadership Class is reaching its close, this end is okay because what I have learned won't soon leave me. Link Crew has provided an authentic experience and unforgettable new relationships. As we plunge into the remainder of junior year I will use these new specialties and reach success in its many forms. I will strive forward without hesitation into these scary uncharted waters of standardized tests and college applications with confidence because I know that I have the skills to make it through, to lead without fear.
I have been developing skills as a leader throughout the semester because of being involved with Link Crew. I intend to keep building on these leadership skills in my home, at school, and in sports.
ReplyDeleteAt home I will use these skills to be more responsible. I know that my family learns from each other and I plan to be the best leader that I can possibly be. I will continually set a good example in front of my parents and my sisters about being a leader by showing how I can be responsible for my actions and help others as well as myself. I will help my family out when they need it, and even when they don’t ask for it. I will progressively get better at being a leader by practicing good leadership skills. Even though I am younger than everybody in my family I will try to be the best leader out of us all. You don’t have to be older than everybody to be the best leader. I know that I will also be learning from them as they are learning from me too. I will grow and become more of a leader than I already am in my household because of what I have learned from Link Crew.
At school I will continue to improve of my leadership skills by setting good examples. I will keep maintaining relationships with my freshman. I will set good examples for the people around me by trying my hardest in everything that I do and helping people when they need it. I won’t ever boast about anything and make sure that I always have integrity. I feel like my actions will affect others in a good way and that makes all the hard work I will put into everything worth it. I know that I want to help others and by helping others I will also help myself.
Sports are a huge part of my life and I know that they are a big part of helping me become a better leader. With these skills that I have begun to develop I will set examples for my team mates. I want to be the person that others look up to and want to be like. Mr. Richmond tells us about leaders at the beginning of every season and he said that sometimes the best leaders aren’t the people that are glorified by the “captain’s C” but the people that are the followers, the people that are able to take criticism and help others without being necessarily recognized. That really inspires me to do more than I do now and to set good examples by always trying my hardest and keeping a positive attitude in everything that I do.
I know that I’m going to have breakdowns and failures in my life and with my leadership skills but without failure there is no success. I plan to learn from everything that I do, and from my success and my downfalls. I will never be a perfect leader and I know that. But I will be satisfied with myself as long and I do my best at everything and never short hand myself.
After being involved with Link Crew, knowing that it is my last year here, I really want to put these leadership skills into action by building connections and relationships with people and hopefully lead the FCA/fellowship club at Lamar Community College.
ReplyDeleteLink Crew this year was really emphasizing that we as leaders should make connections with not only the freshmen, but also the other leaders and people around us. I am not good at keeping connections with people. I only keep relationships with the people that I am really close with. Throughout the rest of year I want to make more connections with people and be a part of their lives. If that means just being there for them when they need someone to talk to or if they just need a friend. I want to be there. If people are hurting I want to be with them through the pain because I have been through so much in my life and I know that being alone through whatever it is harder than ever. I want to be there for the people that can’t do it on their own and that need the guidance to get where they want to be.
Throughout the semester we also learned leadership skills and what it takes to be a leader. I was talking to my sister one day and she told me that the fellowship club at Lamar Community College isn’t very good because they don’t have a leader or really a speaker at all. I thought about it and I think that would be a really good way to use my leadership skills in the college life. I am a Christian and I’ve heard so many preachers and speakers that I kind of understand how do it. I know that it’s going to be hard, but I want to take the challenge. I want to teach people about faith, and the love of Christ.
I am a senior in high school and I’m scared what’s next for me, not knowing what God has in store for me is hard. I hope that I can be a good successful leader with a positive attitude no matter the situation. And if something turns out for the worst I hope that I can reflect and learn from it and grow from it to be the best leader that I can be.
Link crew has been a journey that has altered my perspective on leadership as well as altering me as a leader. I have learned to adjust myself as a leader in different social situations as well as I have learned what kind of leaders I can and sometimes cannot work with. Although as a leader I have had to learn to work with these leaders that I say I cannot work with, I still have to be considerate of all leadership styles. Because of this, I have decided to take my leadership skills learned in Link Crew to a whole new level.
ReplyDeleteMy passion for my evolving leadership skills is simple and many would say far-fetched however I feel that it is potentially in reach. I hope to take my leadership skills and become the most effective Student Body President Arapahoe has yet to see and from there, move forward with my leadership skills. You may be asking yourself how I intend to use my leadership capabilities to the best of my ability in these offices I hope to hold. Well here is my intent: As a leader, I learned about suicide prevention and was involved in both the activity as well as the suicide talk with the professionals that Katelyn helped sponsor. I consider suicide to be one the most pressing issues at our school and being the Student Body President would be the perfect place to take a stand against suicide. Although other leaders at Arapahoe have tried to take this stand, I feel that I could be the most successful with what I have learned. Also involved in being a great leader is the ability to let things go. I must be able to prioritize and decide what is the most pressing issue on my plate and take care of that first. With the stress level I have managed to reach at points in my high school career, I will use my new found technique of going for a run or playing with my dog to help me keep my stress level manageable. One of the most important aspects of leadership that I feel I already had was Integrity, however link crew changed my opinion on it. My old definition was integrity was solely about not cheating. However it changed to doing the right thing the first time you have the opportunity; and if not the first time then learn from your mistake and move one. These are all aspects that I believe will make me a great leader. The most important aspect of my leadership will be my ability to communicate and socialize with others. I was exceptionally nervous on orientation day about speaking to my freshmen and telling them the different perspectives as well as telling them my very personal sixty-four square challenge story. But then I realized that as long as I truly believed in my heart what I was saying then the students in front of me would listen and not question or laugh at the story. Since that moment, public speaking has become much easier and much more fun for me. I believe that I can now go up any stage with any microphone and deliver a speech with passion and poise.
Link Crew has equipped me with skills that I know will benefit me through life. It taught me how to socialize with others that I may not have known or may not have wanted to talk to me at first. It also educated me in how to come out of my shell of shyness and open up to the other possibilities that lay before me in my life. Now it is up to me to make the most of these skills and use them as a vehicle to success for my future. The question is though, what am I going to do with these new found techniques.
ReplyDeleteI first want to start getting more into service projects. Making the blankets for the Ronald McDonald house and running in the Second Wind charity run really made me see a passion that I was not aware I had, is helping others in as many ways as I can. I plan on being a nurse in college while also getting a minor in French because if I am fluent in a language, I will have more chance to travel to other countries, like Africa or even Cambodia, and give aid to others that do not have the means to receive it. I know that with the learning and practicing I did with communicating to others about what I want and how to keep an open mind, I can accomplish what is accomplishable in my life. This connects to service projects because I want to get more involved in my community and help when I can. This could mean running more 5ks, or in my case walking, yet could also mean finally waking up early Saturday morning to go and feed the homeless with my father in downtown Denver. Whatever activity I do to help better my community I know I will be able to do it freely and graciously through the values Link Crew has taught me.
I also plan on getting into peer tutoring whether it is in the school or outside of it. I have not always thought of myself as a really smart student until one day someone asked me to help them and even though I didn’t know them that well, I actually knew what I was doing and made them understand the tricky concept of what they were learning better. Link Crew helped me with not being afraid to help others who I may not know because that is what we did with our freshmen. It was not till I actually helped someone that I realized that even though I am shy, I am actually a good teacher and really like doing it. I am looking forward to what plans are in store for me to express my talents in helping others learn and making them better students because of it.
Link Crew was a brief yet valuable time period in my junior year. I am glad that I did it and that I took such valuable skills from it. I hope and plan to use the tools provided to me to show others how great Link Crew is and why they should take it. I also am hoping to use these new found skills to guide me through success in my future.
My other goal is to become President of the United States. I know every kids has said this once of twice in their lifetimes but I truly believe that I can achieve this. This recently became my belief because of Link Crew. I used to set up strict boundaries for myself and never let myself believe or dream. I now have found myself breaking through those boundaries and believing in my abilities and myself for the first time in a long time. To believe and trust in myself my decision has made a huge difference in my success in life and school. With this confidence I believe that I could make good decisions for the country as well as for all the people I will lead with. I feel that I could meet the uniqueness of each leader I would work with and be able to compromise my leadership skills to fit the needs of the assignment at hand.
ReplyDeleteLink Crew has changed me as a leader and I will not forget this. Each time I step forward, I will be stepping on and using a stone that has helped build a path toward my success as leader. With this I will not forget who I was and who I have become. As long as I follow my desires to live a life as a leader, whether or not I am actually in leadership position, the life skills learned through link crew cannot be left behind because they are a part of me now and part of my day-to-day life.
Link has taught me a lot about myself and within that how to work well with different leaders. In the future, I believe that all of the traits that I learned to use in Link this semester will help me to meet and work well with different people.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that the most meaningful lesson was the day that we talked about all the different types of personalities that are within different leaders. Each leader has a different way of reacting to different situations and everyone has to be able to work with each other. In my future I think this will help me in the work place, but also in emergencies, group projects, and even just meeting new people.
In the future, I would say that the most beneficial lesson for myself was the stress management discussion. I tend to easily stress myself out and even just now I am trying to change the way that I react to things. I think that as I get older I will hopefully be better at being able to manage my skills, but I have learned that to do lists are a necessity. Even if I don't finish everything on my to do list I now have everything written down instead of in my head all the time.
For my individual relationships I believe that the discussion we had about boundaries and safe zones(I can't remember what we called them) were incredibly beneficiary. I think that people have to now where their safety zones are or else many cross in to their boundaries without even realizing it. This becomes an issue because the lines between a safety zone and boundaries are crucial. They help decide who you are and where you want to go with things. In my future, I want to always know where my boundaries are so that I don't cross them, and if I do I hope that it is for something that improves me as an individual.
Link has been an incredible experience for the past two years and I would say that this year has been the most beneficial. I thought that I knew who I was when I walked in to senior year, but this semester has made me dig deeper in to who I am and why I am like it. For my future I hope that I don't change too drastically because at this moment in time I am happy with who I am. I do believe that I can change in different ways including being more open, making sure I know my boundaries, and being less of a procrastinator. I hope that I am able to use what I learned in Link and become a stronger person.
My plans as a leader: During 2011’s Link Crew program, as a Link Crew Leader, I have learned a multitude of new leadership skills that I will apply to my future. I have learned how to communicate, be a better orator, and give everyone an equal opportunity as human being. In the future, I plan to take my leadership skills to all applicable situations that I can.
ReplyDeleteAt the college level, I intend to apply to the PLC program at CU and further develop my leadership skills within that community. As my growth within that community grows, I will have to consider several viable careers that match my leadership qualities and interests. That might include law, medical or other career paths.
Within the Navigators community, I plan to be a councilor at Eagle Lake Camp in Manitou Springs. That opportunity offers me leadership roles similar to that of leading freshmen, only this time the kids leave at the end of the summer. That leadership opportunity presents many benefits to my career and offers me the ability to develop not only as a leader, but as a man. That’s what I find most important about the Link Crew role, it is important to be a great person, before you can be a great leader.
As a person, I will be a solid person, before attempting to be a leader. One of the most important thing is to have a foundation devoid of the sins and evils of this world in order to be a truly substantial leader within the community. For everyone has a dark side, but your leadership should never reveal, endorse or promote that dark side. That is something I will always take from Link Crew. No matter what’s going on within our personal lives, it’s important to put on a smile for your freshmen. A leader is nothing without followers, as his/her power comes from the people around him and not from himself.
Within Link class, a good lesson learned was how to deal with stress. Learning how to positively interact with and cope with stress is mandatory for success as a leader. I will always make time for myself as a leader, and know when to take a chill-pill/breather. You don’t want to have mental break-downs. There bad for PR.
In addition, something that I found important was the ability to give back to the community, with such service projects as the Second Wind Fund, and the Ronald McDonald foundation. Giving back not only improves oneself as a person, but also benefits oneself in the eyes of the community. A good leader cares about the community . That’s something I learned in Link Crew that I will never forget.
Overall, I believe that Link Crew has paved the foundation for a very successful opportunity as a leader. I will take the many skills learned as a leader and apply them to all applicable situations in life. I understand the value of community and where to place my values in developing the next generation.
Through Link Crew I have learned lots of meaningful leadership skills; I intend to take them into consideration and use whenever possible in any type of leadership position that I might acquire in the time from here on. I believe that the skills we have learned can be put to use in almost any situation or position, and that even in my everyday life now outside of Link Crew I find myself using the skills I have learned.
ReplyDeleteAs far as specific plans for the future, the first that comes to mind is using the skills I have learned with the dynamics of any sports team, but for me- lacrosse. Link Crew helped me to desire to do the right thing, even when someone was not watching or keeping track because often attendance was not counted from beginning to end, and you were not required to attend. As a part of a team, I believe that it is important to hold integrity for yourself, for the team, and for others around you. Good Sportsmanship is something that reflects integrity, as well as something I strongly look for on and off the lacrosse field in myself and my teammates. Through Link Crew I have learned a sense of community, how to make others feel welcome and at home with the people around them. Through orientation and the activities that we do with the freshmen, I think that we give them a community to belong to; with all of us as leaders there is at least one person or group that the freshmen would feel comfortable around. On any lacrosse team that I play on in the future, I look forward to encouraging this sense of community in my teammates. It is so important that everyone feels like they have a place they fit in, someone to turn to, or somewhere to be themselves.
Link Crew has taught me how to lead by example- that no matter what you may think, someone is watching you and taking after your actions, words, and decisions. From following a leader and then in turn being a leader, I have discovered what I look for in a role model and how to become a good role model for others. In the future (and as of this moment in time) I plan to be a leader for my younger siblings. I am the oldest in a family of seven kids; I know that everyday my brothers and sisters are watching me- observing what I am doing or would do. They remember my choices and actions, even subconsciously, while their brains put that logic to work in everything that they do. Being a Link Leader I have found that even I follow by example; follow someone who is older, wiser, holds more life experience than I do. I look up to the figures in my life that have been that example for me, therefore I am very cognizant of my siblings’ view of me and how that will change the way they act and what they do.
I have learned lots of patience through my 3 years being a part of Link Crew, and I have learned how to work in groups and how to read people well. In the future, with any group, club, and organization that I am a part of I believe that the skills I have been taught through the group dynamics of Link Crew will play a huge part in nearly every aspect of my life. Working with my partner, we have experienced the importance of knowing the difference between the times for fun and the times to buckle down and get serious. With leadership through Link Crew we have found out things about each other that we had not known before, and to me Link Crew was a huge impact on my life- for without it, I would have never met Hope. Through working with the freshmen I have seen what it is like to have to do all the work to pursue them, and I have seen what it is like to be pursued by them; through this I have learned that sometimes it takes just waiting, and sometimes people need that extra bit of concern. Caring for our specific group of freshmen, I have found that different people needs all sorts of different attention, care, and space.
Even though the Link Crew Leadership Class is almost over, I have several plans for leadership in the future. As I have throughout the semester, I will continue to act as a role model for others in the school. Link Crew doesn’t just end when Leadership Class has ended. I have gained the perspective of Link Crew as being one of those groups in which a person enters, but never really has to leave. It sets you up to be a leader the rest of your life. It is our job as Link Leaders to act as role models for others and help guide them on the road to success. Even though Leadership Class has ended, my role as a Link Leader has not. I will continue to act responsibly, honestly, and have a great work ethic. I don’t want to disappear under the radar once Leadership Class ends, I want to continue to be involved and an active leader.
ReplyDeleteI also have plans to apply for a Commissioner position for next year. Like last year, I have once again realized I want to continue to be actively involved in the Link Crew program. These past two years have taught me a lot about who I am as an individual, as well as a leader. I would like to continue that learning process so that I can keep improving myself and my voice. I would really like to apply for a Commissioner position because I want to be more involved in the program. The past two years I have increased my involvement and I would really like to continue that trend. I have a passion for leadership and want to continue that throughout my high school career and hopefully beyond.
Next year, my brother will be transitioning from eighth grade into high school along with all of his friends. As his sister, I have gotten to know many of his friends. Just seeing their anxiety and questions about high school reminds me of my transition. I had a relatively smooth transition from middle school into high school. I would like my brother and his friends to have a similar experience. I feel like that change is one of the most important factors that decide the success of an individual in high school. It is very easy to be misled when a person is not sure which direction they should be going. The Link Crew program allows students who have previously gone through the transition to guide new students onto the path of success. I have watched my group of Freshmen grow as a group as well as individuals. Several of my Freshmen are now close friends with each other. They actually respond when I greet them in the hallways. I have witnessed their growth and have had the privilege to help them through their transition. An experience like this is unforgettable. It allows a person to realize what is really important in life.
I want to continue my experience as well as increase my leadership role in the year to come. I have really enjoyed my experience in the program and don’t want to miss out on any opportunities. I have learned who I am as a leader as well as an individual. This sense of identity has changed who I am and what I stand for. I have learned so much about leadership and witnessed the effects this year. An experience like this is priceless and I want to continue it throughout the next year and hopefully beyond then. Regardless of the fact that Leadership Class has almost ended, my plans for leadership in the future have just begun. I will continue to be an active leader as well as improve who I am as an individual.
Link Crew has taught me numerous lessons in order to succeed as a leader. Life takes its turns and as leaders, we are the ones waiting to embrace the challenge. With lessons like the fruit personality test, the relationship bank account and synergy, I have learned a great deal about my actions as a leader and furthermore how to apply it to my future as a leader.
ReplyDeleteI remember how powerful it was to walk into a gymnasium full of screaming kids in brightly colored shirts. I have also now been on the other end of the spectrum and felt how nerve wracking it is to make that solid first impression not only on those in your small group but any freshman you can. The “Fruit” Personality Test brought for my understanding of compatibility as well as teamwork. I learned that being opposite isn’t always a bad thing. As a leader, there is a constant pressure to succeed. And especially when you don’t, you feel as if you have let yourself and your coach, teacher or other guide down. Being a leader is a given privilege that should not be taken lightly. It has been a dream of mine to be in a leadership position when it comes to either a Link Crew Commissioner or even the captain of our baseball team. Compatibility stems not only from what you can do but also from what you and that other “fruit” can do in partnership. Working alongside someone you have absolutely nothing in common with can be just as beneficial as working with a total stranger who you soon find out is your perfect match. I plan on utilizing my skills of compatibility and teamwork to better others. One of my favorite things that my grandpa always says is that it’s not always about making yourself look good, but it is just as powerful to make those around you look good.
Even though Link Crew Leadership Class is over that does not mean my leadership opportunities or abilities are also finished. Link Crew has taught me a lot about being a leader and really learning what that entails. Using these skills I will continue to be a leader in my life in my family, with my friends and with my lacrosse team.
ReplyDeleteI am the oldest in my family and I have three little sisters. It is important to me that I am a good example to them and I help show them the right path to take. From Link Crew I learned that in order to be a good leader you need to be patient and not think of your needs as number one priority. This definitely is something that I need to work on with my siblings. I think that if I am more patient they will come to me for more advice and help in their lives. Another thing that Link Crew has taught me is to really invest into relationships constantly. I remember Mr. Trotter saying that the second you meet someone you start a “Relationship Bank Account” with them. You can’t take money out of the bank account but you should always be depositing in. I think that sometimes in regards to my family I don’t always try to hang out with my sisters or try making our relationship stronger. As the oldest in my family, and a leader I think I need to work on that even more.
I can also be a leader not only with my family but also with friends. In Link Crew we talked about choices and boundaries in our life that we shouldn’t really cross. I think that when I stand up for myself and don’t give into peer pressure I am really being a leader amongst friends. When others watch me lead and do the right thing in a situation I think that they will either follow or regret not following my lead later. Link Crew has taught me to do the right thing even when no one is watching but it has also shown me that there are many people, like the commissioners, who are also trying to make good choices. I like how the Link Crew leaders can really bond together over the semester and keep each other accountable to be not only a good leader but also a good person.
This spring when my lacrosse season starts I also want to be a strong leader. I think that a solid leader is always very important during a sports season because it is easy to get too caught up in a game or a certain call the ref made that you lose sight of what’s really important. From Link Crew we really learned how to lead alongside other leaders and I think that will help me during lacrosse. Sometimes there are more than one person on the team that wants to step into a leadership role so you have to learn to work together even if you don’t really get along.
Overall Link Crew has taught me skills that I will remember and use the rest of my life. I have really loved being in Link Crew this semester. I think it is an amazing program not only for the incoming freshmen but also for the leaders. I have learned so much and at the same time met some really awesome people. Thank you!
After spending time as a Link Leader, I feel prepared for the challenges I will face ahead. Link Crew has taught me how to work well with others and how to use my strengths and weaknesses in order to be a great leader. I plan to utilize these skills in Student Council, in my relationships with others, and I desire to continue developing them.
ReplyDeleteWhile being in Link Crew, I have already seen improvements in my position as Junior Class Secretary and I plan to continue this utilization of the lessons I have learned. The most beneficial activity for my self-to-self and leader-to-leader focus was the Fruit Personality Test. This test taught me what my strengths and weaknesses are. I can use this expanded knowledge of my strengths and weaknesses in Student Council because I have a better idea of how I should volunteer and spend my time in the most effective way possible. Another event that expanded my knowledge was Freshman Orientation Day. Orientation Day gave me a confidence boost and helped me realize that I am very capable of being a strong leader. With this confidence, I plan to be a more effective leader in Student Council. I no longer second guess my ideas; I have seen by opinion be valued by freshmen and therefore I know that other people will value it too if I am confident. Other activities, such as the Tailgate and Broomball, have inspired me to bond with my fellow Student Council members. I plan to organize a bonding event soon; fun activities allow individuals to open up. Link Crew has given me the ideas and confidence to take a step further in my leadership positions elsewhere.
Besides my confidence in myself, Link Crew gave me the hope to improve my individual friendships with the people I love. Meeting many new freshmen forced me to see many different types of relationships. After seeing both healthy and unhealthy relationships, I strive to strengthen my relationships with both the people I care about and the people I would like to get to know better. I plan to do this by being honest and making more “deposits” that “withdrawals”. After being thrown into uncomfortable situations, I am more grateful for the comfort that my friends and family provide me. I desire to make this more known to them every day. However, I still plan to work on improving my confidence in the uncomfortable situations.
I am gracious for the experiences Link Crew has provided me. All of these lessons I learned are only a work in progress. I plan to continue to develop each skill because there is always room for improvement. If Link has taught me anything, it would be that there is always another lesson to be learned, more knowledge to be gained from my mistakes.
Jeff Rasmussen
ReplyDeleteLink Final
During this semester with Link Crew, I have learned so much and have become a much better leader in my opinion. After learning to become a better leader, I think that I will be able to use the skills I have obtained in everything that I do.
I definitely will be using these skills in college when collaborating with fellow classmates and teachers. Also, when applying for college, being able to tell them that I am a leader will have a better chance of being accepted into that certain college because they look not only for good students, but also for people that take risks and make decisions. Colleges look for someone who is a leader. Not only will I use these leadership skills in college, but also in every aspect of my life. One example other than college would be baseball or football. Both sports require the ability to follow directions from both coaches and teammates, and the ability to lead each individual athlete to a great season. The skills that I have obtained through Link Crew will definitely be able to help me be leader on and off the field.
One specific job that I will use these leadership skills in is Veterinarian medicine. After high school I plan to go to CSU to obtain a degree in Veterinarian Medicine so I can become a Veterinarian. I remember looking up the job description for Veterinarians and finding that you will need to be able to speak well with others and lead a team of individuals who will be helping you with specific jobs. After reading this, I was really surprised and afraid that I would not be able to obtain the job because I have never been that good of a leader. Leadership has been one of my lacking qualities for a long time and I was wondering how I was going to build upon that trait. Joining Link Crew was the answer to that dilemma. Not only Link Crew help me with my ability to lead a young group of individuals, but it also helped me understand that everybody is a different type of leader with different qualities. I am still shy when talking to others but I have learned how to react in certain situations and make decisions that affect not just me but my partner as well. I am now able to lead a group of people who will be looking up to me to make difficult decisions and with the skills that I have obtained from Leadership Class, I feel that I am able to successfully lead and make those difficult decisions. I did not believe, at first, that I would use these skills other than for this class, but after giving a lot of thought into my future, I have discovered that we use leadership in about every aspect of our lives. I believe that these skills will be what gets me into CSU or any other college that I apply for, and I am very thankful for Link Crew Leadership Class because without the class, I do not know if I would be able to say that I am a true leader.
My sister and I always struggled to get along, and up to this day, we fight each other over anything from who the next president should be to why she doesn’t drink 1% milk. However each time we see each other, being limited as it is, I try to leave her with a smile. For me, that seems like a positive way to say “Let’s cut the crap” and just move on. Making the deposits in the relationship bank account can seem tedious sometimes. However whether that relationship is friendship or loving, it’s always important. I have grown to realize that even those I would enjoy to avoid in the hallways can be as important in my life as my best friend can be. As a leader, I plan to be that person who notices the kids sitting alone at the table and sits with them. I want to be the one that makes the firm connection that they can lean on. The impact of a friend can be a life changing experience. To name a few, my parents and my sister and I have seemed to stop getting along recently. We have stopped making those deposits and in turn, left the piggy bank hungry. Although we love each other, it’s sometimes hard to see the other’s perspective when you think that everything you say is right. In the near future and as often as possible, I would like to start making those connections that make the lasting impressions on those close to me as well as those I may never meet again.
ReplyDeleteSynergy ties up all the loose ends. “Two or more people working to accomplish one goal” was the definition given to us in our lesson. I became fascinated with the idea and started to apply it to my life. In history, we made a study group. In math, we try to work together every Thursday third hour. We have been able to succeed so greatly in such a minimal amount of time. Life throws anything from tests and quizzes to girlfriends and boyfriends breaking up. And sometimes, whether you want to keep it a secret or not, talking to someone can change your ideas. In my future, I have also had a strong passion for teaching. I would love to be a Spanish teacher. But recently I have realized I have a gift for psychology. I can help those around me benefit by talking out situations and the possible solutions.
As life goes on, I hope to be a driving force in someone’s life, helping them with their relationships or helping them with their personal issues. It is important to me to make impressions and to be a steady hand behind those I meet. Making a connection is what I will take away from this class. And whether I apply that as a Spanish teacher, a Link Commissioner, a husband or any other important role, I am ready to face that challenge.