Cumulative Reflection
It has been a long journey, with ups, downs, and a pandemic in between. However, the feeling of completing my time in the program and reflecting on my growth over the years compares to no other.
Growth in the Four Competencies
EMPATHY
Empathy is a pre-requisite to being a good leader. If a leader is not empathetic, then they will ultimately fail in team settings. Good leading and organizing requires understanding and compassion. Often times, things will not always go as planned, so being flexible is necessary. Through my team experiences, I witnessed first-hand the importance of this competency. I have developed this skill over the years and saw the ways it transformed my leadership style. This skill has also helped me develop connections with different RSOs and communities on campus. It helps with recognizing the parallels in our struggles.
COMMUNICATION
Communication is vital to proper leadership and confidence in organizing. The difference between successful organizations and events compared to unsuccessful ones all come down to communication. I have found communicating honestly, transparently, and clearly yields the best results. I have been able to develop deeper connections with the people within my own organization by strengthening my communication skills. However, this competency was difficult for me to develop because I am still working through my personal people-pleasing tendencies. Though, with time I have seen improvement in my communication and consequently, my leadership.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
My time at the University of Illinois and the Leadership Program centers around social justice. I came into college knowing I wanted to involve myself in community organizing. These four-years taught me more than I imagined. I have stepped out of my comfort zone, befriended some amazing people (who also happened to enjoy organizing), and learned how to thrive. I have always been interested in the intersectionality between healthcare and social inequities. I hope to carry my passion for social justice into my future career as a physician. I will be a strong leader and an active agent of change in the medical field. I will be an advocate and healer for my community.
DIVERSITY ADVOCACY
Diversity advocacy has also been a competency I had the opportunity to develop through my time with the leadership program.I wanted to find ways to create and cultivate community on this campus. I became a Multicultural Advocate during the 2020-2021 school year. I assumed an active leadership role in developing and maintaining a positive and inclusive learning environment within the residence hall. I also joined the Diversity and Inclusion Committee within University Housing. I met with UIUC administration to work on bringing a Middle Eastern and North African Cultural House (Which we will have this coming Fall 2022 semester!). I would not have imagined accomplishing so much in a short time on campus.
Final Reflection
I started the Leadership Certificate Program in 2019. The program is generally completed within three semesters. I originally had the intentions of finishing the requirements for the program as quickly as possible. However, at the end of each semester I was caught up in my other responsibilities, leaving me no time to complete the final e-portfolio. In my Junior and Senior years, I took 20-23 credit hours a semester while managing work, extracurriculars, and a social life. Finding the perfect work-life balance was my hardest struggle all through college. I learned how to be more intentional with my time and energy, only focusing on activities and people that help me grow and thrive. I struggled a lot with the transition in my freshman year of college. Though, the leader-like qualities I had helped me navigate new spaces effortlessly. I was able to step out of my comfort zone and develop deep connections with folks with all different backgrounds. I was surprised that I was able to come from a small high school (with a graduating class of 18 people) to the University of Illinois (UIUC) (of thousands) and still thrive.
My time at UIUC and as a leader through this program has helped me strengthen my communication and organizing skills. I had the opportunity to join different organizations of my interest and take part in leadership opportunities. I learned lots about how to be a good leader, then actually had the opportunity to put it practice with the workshops and team experiences.
I defined leadership by saying:
“Leadership is no easy task to take on, and being a leader requires dedication and commitment. A leader is someone that directs people towards a desired goal. Leadership is about fairness and empathy. A leader is not selfish in accomplishing the tasks at hand and aim to accomplish it in the most efficient way possible. The effectiveness of leadership depends on the qualities of the leader and their ability to unlearn implicit biases and desire to learn and grow.
Leading requires confidence and charisma in order to influence people that you are capable of making directions and leading a team. Being a leader means pulling the weight of the group on the hardest days, the days filled with lack of motivation and energy. They are responsible for creating a plan that will lead their group to success. Leadership requires open-mindedness because all input must be taken into consideration to ensure a collective contribution. A leader leads by example and is well-respected by others. Leadership require integrity. This “job” will require an individual to make decisions they never wanted to make sometimes. It means calling out your friends and holding them accountable if they are a part of your team. This is because the leader always takes responsibility in a situation, even if it ends badly.”
I still agree with my original sentiments. I believe this experience only positively impacted the way I define leadership and put it into practice. I would say my Leadership Certificate experiences could be represented as a movie trilogy. The first movie being the 2019-2020 school year, the second movie being 2020-2021, and third being 2021-2022. Between the pandemic, online school, and several other external factors, this journey has definitely been chaotic and long. But, nevertheless, I persisted and reached the end of my journey.