For the 2019-2020 (and currently the 2020-2021 school year) academic year, I am currently the President of Pinky Promise (as of September 2020, we are currently in a name transition to Selah), a non-denominational Christian organization for college-aged women and older. Last year, I was Vice President, so I did gain some experience being on the executive board previously. This year as President, it has been amazing and one of my best years being a part of Pinky Promise. And I believed this was the case because of the amazing leadership of my executive board. Last year, our executive board consisted on two-three members who had to spend a lot of time doing the duties meant for a board of five-six. This year, we had a full executive board, and work was able to be evenly distributed. This way, no member felt burnt out or overloaded. I also think this year was the best, because of who made up the board. The executive board consisted of diverse members from different “cliques” on campus. We all have different personalities that meshed will with each other, and this made us stronger as we were able to grab a wider diverse audience.
I think by attending a liberal arts college, made me understand and appreciate the importance of diversity. Pinky Promise has grown so much stronger, as a board and a presence around campus. By having diverse members in our organization, we were inspired by one another and our different ideas. We have been able to implement new techniques, suggestions, and programs because of the suggestions from our diverse members and their backgrounds. I think last year was the same as previous years, because our board were made up of members who were very similar to each other and brought in people similar to them. I also think that by attending a liberal art college, I was able to really define what a leader is and looks like. In tenth grade, I attended a leadership seminar called HOBY (Hugh O’ Brien Youth Leadership) and that was when I first learned that a leader doesn’t have to be loud or demanding to be an effective leader. A leader is also a follower. I consider myself a quiet and timid but extroverted person. And I never saw myself a leader because I wasn’t “loud”. But Pinky Promise has continued to help me see that leaders and followers come in all forms. I have been able to be myself but lead an organization with an amazing executive board by my side and support.
Things I believe that made me an effective leader was strengthening my communication, time management, organization, and most importantly adaptability and flexibility. Pinky Promise ran into many obstacles this year that was out of our control. But we were able to use quick thinking to solve our problems, and that made us stronger. One leadership trait I would like to strengthen is my public speaking. Again, I am a quiet soul, so talking loudly isn’t quite my strong suit. But I think a leader does need this skill to be effective is all environments, especially in positions of power in the workforce. If your idea isn’t translated or heard, then nothing can change, and your opinions are not heard. To practice this skill, I plan to hold more spaces for conversation and more opportunities for me to get out of my comfort zone by not “staying and blending into the background”. Spring 2020 is going to be an amazing year of personal growth! I think I can only grow from here and by having a support system behind me, it has helped my confidence in all of this and more.
