Leadership To me leadership is the ability to influence others, to represent them, and to help them accomplish things they have

never imagined. Leadership has shaped my life as a teenager and it has made me who I am today. I also know that leadership will continue to shape my life as I grow into an adult. I left a graduating 8th grade class of 60 and came to a freshman class of about 500. Only 6 kids came from my old school to my new one. I soon realized that high school would be a brand new start in life for me. During the first few weeks at the school I learned of the Leadership class at Ponderosa and I decided to run for the Freshman Class Officer. Stepping into this position I realized I had just made a huge commitment. I learned how to fundraise, how to put on rallies, and how to set up dances. I have remained in Leadership all 4 years of high school and have held positions such as Student Store Manager, Sports Publicity Officer, and now Im a Senior Class Representative. Another experience I have with leadership is in sports. Over the last two summers I have coached a summer swim team. I took on a huge responsibility when I took the job as the official Sierra Sharks Swim team coach. As a swim team coach I participated in coaching all levels of swimmers from 6 and under to 18 year olds. Coaching has given me a lot of experience in leading a broader age range of people. Another sport contributing to leadership in my life is volleyball. My freshman year I decided I would play club volleyball during the fall. My freshman year of club experience proved to be of use. When I tried out for high school volleyball in the spring, I was selected as the captain of the junior varsity volleyball team. Now that I am a senior I have been captain of six of my volleyball teams. I have persevered through each teams hardships, bringing the team together which shows one of my great leadership aspects.

Early on, I also came to understand the value of community service. Wanting to make a difference, I began participating in my churchs youth group, starting out with small projects such as serving dinner at the local soup kitchen. I later moved on to larger projects such as painting and repairing houses on a Native American reservation in Nevada. For the past year I have also helped my mom cook food and take it to the homeless camps in Placerville each month. Community service has contributed a lot to my leadership skills. My life has been defined by the leadership positions I have held. Whether it has been representing the school, leading my volleyball team or coaching swim I have always felt accomplished and proud of the leadership positions I have held. I know that these experiences will follow me into my future.