Attending George Mason University has been one of the most helpful things in developing my self-awareness. I know whom I am and what I want to do in my future. Also, working in the LEAD Office has revealed many of my strengths and weaknesses, which has allowed me to grow as a leader. With these two things pushing me to strive to become a better me, I am determined to be the best that I can be.

My cluster group of 2015 LeaderShape.

Being engulfed in a campus full of extroverted and exciting people, I have grown to be a social butterfly. Developing friendships does not cause me any anxiety. Apprehensive conversations with strangers are a thing of the past. By attending LeaderShape in 2015, I connected with many peers and have long lasting relationships with many undergraduate and graduate students. This networking has been helpful for me when facilitating conversations with students and faculty whom I do not know.

I also now know what my passions are and how to pursue them. Without having the support of past Leadership Consultants, I would not know how to look into myself and find these crucial things. By evaluating my values, I can grasp what I stand for the most. I have a strong urge to promote suicide awareness and help those who need it the most, which can be seen through my top values of honesty, loyalty, and aid. These values also contribute to my intense desire to become a psychologist who counsels young children. This desire drives me to do my best in every scenario.

As a Leadership Consultant, I have learned what my strengths and weaknesses are. My top five strengths are Restorative, Relator, Developer, Responsibility, and Focus. These five strengths have assisted me in planning multiple workshops and events for the LEAD Office. Through developing these with the other Leadership Consultants, my weaknesses have been exposed. I am not too good with sticking with the status quo; I enjoy coming up with new ideas. Sometimes this can be difficult because of time restraints. I also have a hard time with public speaking. Standing in front of President Cabrera and introducing a famous chef to an audience was not the easiest job for me; however, I have overcome many of my fears in order to grow as a public speaker.

The LEAD Office crew at the Mason Leadership Conference of 2015.

Participating in the Mason Leadership Conference and the Somatic Leadership Institute exemplify how I love to continuously learn and grow. I facilitated a workshop for the Mason Leadership Conference that focused on well-being alongside another Leadership Consultant. We incorporated my passion for suicide awareness, which really got the conversation flowing among the partakers. This experience fueled my aspirations and helped me flourish as a leader. On the other hand, attending the Somatic Leadership Institute gave me insight to myself as well as how to be a better leader.

As I continue to mature and learn more about myself, I will always keep in mind the aspects of myself that I already know. These features are what will inspire me to continue being the best that I can be in order to create my legacy in this crazy place we call home.