My Leadership Experiences on Student Council

Hearing my name being called, I was confident, prepared, and determined. After giving my speech and seeing my friends, I was optimistic that I was going to win. Therefore, through my years of hard work and leadership, I was doubtful that somebody could defeat me in the election. The usual suspects won the higher positions, but when it was my time to win, I didn’t and it was catastrophic. Losing the student council elections of my sophomore year was detrimental to my involvement in student council for I believed there was no aspiration for me to participate anymore with losing the elections.

Facing this large obstacle in my path to major leadership, I was unsure of whether to push through my major loss or join another organization to gain significant leadership positions. Approaching my junior year, however, I realized that how strong of a role you have doesn’t define the potential you have for planning an event or how strong of a leader you can become. Also, I learned that not everybody needs to be the leader; however, all the non-leaders need to genuinely do the tasks that leaders delegate and be “worker bees”. Despite this major setback of failing to gain a position on the student council executive board, I learned that failures do not lead to quitting, but rather lead to adapting your situation with the failure in order to yield a better outcome. By doing so, I learned that in order to become a stronger leader, I need to observe current leaders, understand how they operate, and then take those observations into account when I transform into an enthusiastic, dedicated leader.

Taking these personal realizations into account, my third year on student council became the most arduous, yet the most rewarding. After understanding that not everyone could be the leader, I began to be more involved in subcommittees by doing the tasks that the executive board leaders delegate as I became the “worker bee”. Throughout my third year on student council, I became a stronger leader not only by planning and organizing multiple events, but also by executing the tasks delegated by the leaders. This year of becoming more involved in student council successfully allowed me to gain a leadership position on the executive board at the end of my junior year. This year challenged me to a great extent to organize and plan outings, but it also produced amazing results.

Through delegated tasks and leadership positions, my experiences on student council have not only strengthened my leadership and organizational skills, but also inspired my interest in medicine. These vital experiences have inspired me to live a life dedicated to service and helping others by being inspired by a career in medicine. In student council, I have planned and participated in our school’s annual blood drive. By working with the Blood Center of Wisconsin, I have realized that many people on a daily basis perish from a lack of blood, which can be easily fixed by blood donations. This single experience, where I volunteered and donated blood, has inspired my passion for helping others and my interest in the field of medicine. Therefore, throughout all of my leadership experiences on student council and all the success I had in planning events, despite the minor setback of losing the election, has strengthened my leadership skills and inspired my passion in the field of medicine. 

Works Cited:

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