My Leadership Philosophy

I am a sophomore majoring in Biomedical Sciences at UCF. This is one of the more popular majors at UCF, but I still have several qualities that make me unique. For example, despite being a STEM major, I currently work at the University Writing Center along with many writing and rhetoric majors. This position allows me to do more reading and writing which I appreciate because I don’t do much of it in my course of study. Along with consulting students, I am also a part of the team that curates the Newsletter for the UWC. Another unique aspect of my being is the fact that I am the secretary for a film club on campus. Here members get together every other week to watch and discuss quality movies that my E-board members and I choose according to a theme. Creating questions to pose for our discussions and critically analyzing artwork with my peers is always a highlight of my week. I really feel that being involved in different activities makes me a well-rounded individual that can more readily adapt to change in the workplace.

Along with the activities I partake in, my leadership style is also very unique in some ways. In my communication style, I do not avoid conflict and actually prefer to address it head on. My parents were both very transparent individuals so I grew up to take on these same traits. This transparency also relates to the way I prefer to receive criticism. As opposed to feeling discouraged by criticism, I welcome it because it allows me to improve my methods, making it easier to achieve my goals. I’ve found that this quality is better for my mental health and very appreciated and respected by mentors and employers.

My primary motivating factor for why I do what I do is helping those who are underserved or disadvantaged. I have family members living in poor conditions in the Dominican Republic and was able to see firsthand the struggles they have to face. Although not to that extent, I’ve also been disadvantaged in the past. I went to a very small high school with little to no resources and have had to do a lot of learning and catching up to my peers here in college because of it. These life events have influenced me to try to help people because I know what it feels like to be on the other side. Graduating from medical school and becoming a physician is also one of my main motivating factors. Attaining this goal will allow me to help others and give back to my community in a more impactful way than I can as a student.

I’ve derived my main expectation for myself and others from what I’ve been taught and my experiences working for the university writing center. As tutors, we are informed that although we are considered the more “learned” students in the situation, we are equally as capable of learning from those we consult. Therefore, I carry the expectation of being ready and willing to learn for myself and those around me. I am convinced that when one has this sort of growth mindset, nothing is impossible to achieve. Having this mindset also allows you to remain humble when you start achieving your goals. My motto is that there is always more to learn and more to improve on. In my opinion, as long as a person is working to learn and improve towards their goals and passions while contributing to their community, they should consider themself successful.

The main lesson that I’ve learned from my experiences in the LEAD Scholars Academy is that people embody leadership in different ways. You don’t have to be in a proclaimed position of power to be a leader, you just have to be someone who influences people’s lives in a positive way. An elementary school teacher who does their best to instruct and encourage their students is a leader just like a human rights activist. One isn’t greater than the other; they just have different callings and passions. As a student, I have confidence in my leadership because I know that I am making a difference in my community, albeit in a small way.