Amber Wilkinson

Lessons and Goodbyes

Why not be apart of a class that only meets five times throughout the semester?

Little homework and minimal stress were my initial thoughts about Emerging Leaders.

The service project and retreat blew me away because I was not expecting to learn so

much in a class that required so little while having a blast. Learning about the different

leadership styles, my new passion in life, and how I can become a more effective leader

in groups were many of the things I learned through the beginning Emerging Leaders

class.

I always saw myself as being a compulsively organized leader with perfect

handwriting so going through the True Colors activity was interesting. My primary color,

blue, came out once I was comfortable around individuals, but initially I was seen as

gold. The True Colors activity not only showed collaboration within the individual

groups, but also consciousness of self and others as well. When the blue group would

have a discussion it was important to understand that, yes we were all blue, but we were

still unique within the group. I learned that each individual has their own particular needs

and desires in life and for them to be successful, they needed to be surrounded by

positivity.

I was thrilled when I saw that we would be going on a hike because the weather

was gorgeous. Then we were told we could not talk, and I was not so happy anymore

because I had just met new friends who I was excited to get know. “Think about the way

you walk, the noises you hear, and where your mind goes,” said Derick Crowell before

we began on our adventure. I noticed that my mind carried to many different areas and I

really focused on my surroundings more than ever before. I also found that my body,

soul, and mind had time to regroup and recollect my thoughts. I saw citizenship and

common purpose because each student had the same purpose to be quiet until we reached

our destination.

The team building excited me because it made me think outside of the box. I liked

the variety that each activity had within it and the new twists that would be thrown in if

we reached the goal the first time. I saw that leadership is not always about being the

loudest or the most forceful, but about having clear ideas and thoughts. I think that

common purpose was the driving force because each team member needed to actively

help and if the team was missing one person the task would not have been reached as

smoothly.

My service sites were Horses Help and Saint Vincent De Paul Dining Room. At

Horses Help, I knew exactly what I was doing because I was a current volunteer of a year

at this site. Working with children who have a mental and/or physical disability has been

a challenge because I need to slow my thoughts down so they may comprehend. St.

Vincent De Paul completely blew me away because of the mass number of people that

needed to have lunch and their positive attitudes. Even though many of them just had the

clothes on their backs, they were still smiling and happy to have a plate of expired food in

their hands.

The hunger banquet was where I learned the most about myself and what I

believed in. Experiencing the need for food at St. Vincent De Paul three days before the

hunger banquet activity at the retreat helped me find a new passion in life. I realized that

more than half of the food in my house will go uneaten and be thrown away when there

are people living down the street who need the food. Consciousness of self and others is

the most prevalent because the world goes around because of the community, not because

of me alone. Being respectful of the individuals within my own community is citizenship

that should be shown everyday.

I found that each of the seven C’s were highly evident and mandatory within each

activity. For example, during the team building activities the family group did not

resemble congruency so the task went uncompleted the first time around. After we

regrouped and discussed as a group the common purpose we then reached our goal. On

the other end of the spectrum I saw that when the family group used consciousness of self

and others and controversy with civility, things were discussed and resolved immediately.

Being a part of Emerging Leaders helped me realize what my life means to me. I

now wake up to a clear goal in life and believe that I will achieve it. The silent hike,

personal vision time, and reflection journals were the exact tools that affected me the

most in shaping how I led the others around me. Trying to get from one hill to the other

without falling into the hot lava as well as the picture puzzle were many of the team

building activities I struggled with. It was here that I realized I would be unable to be in

control all the time, but with practice I noticed the success that comes with being patient.

Along with the service hours that needed to be completed came disappointments and

stress. The group had many difficulties but I found that through the service I found a new

passion for my life.

I found that leadership is more than just being a part of the community but also

taking time for reflection and just a chance to laugh and relax. With these tools now in

my toolbox I feel prepared and excited to tackle what ever task may come next. Being

apart of this class has helped in many areas of my life and I am thrilled to see what the

future may hold.