REFLECTION
Explain how your experience affected you as a person
My experience at the conference really affected by role as a leader in the classroom and on the soccer field. I definitely noticed a difference in how I handled certain situations and how I directed others, especially my teammates at soccer. I became a lot more comfortable and open to people I’ve never met before. I also started to become familiar with college life and how it was to be on a college campus. This experience affected me in a poisitive way and I am grateful that I was chosen for this experience.
How did you change?
I became more aware of work ethics that others obtain and how they learn and interpret things differently than I do. I’m very direct and organized so I like certain things to follow a order and keep it that way while others do not. I started to take that into consideration and be patient with others and how they learn. As a leader, I became more open to others and took command but in a good way. I handled situations differently and learned how to have alternative decisions.
How do you see the world differently as a result of your experience?
I have become more aware of other people that are just like me and have a similar personality with me. In contrast, I see that people also are completely ppposite of me and I have to be aware of that. I see that there are many different ways to lead and handle situations and your personality determines all of it. I noticed how much our world does for those in need and it really changed my perspective on life and how I should be more grateful and deserving of the things I have in life versus others.
How did this experience impact or reveal your character?
I am a lot more comfortable being myself and opening up to others I’ve never met before and expressing my leadership skills to them. I revealed more of my leadership side and it definitely improved after this experience. This experience impacted me in so many ways. It impacted my leadership at home, on the soccer field, and in the classroom. I am a lot more patient and considerate of others and how they present themselves.
Was this a meaningful experience? Why or why not?
This was a meaningful experience for me because I learned so much about myself and others that are like and not like me. I started many friendships with other people that I will always be grateful for and had the chance to have great leaders as role models. I also used the chance of being at Ohio University as a visit there since I am considering going there for college. I learned many new values of life and a person that will always be important to me.
What new knowledge or skills did you learn from this experience?
I gained new leadership skills for every aspect in my life. I learned to have alternative thinking and be patient with others. I also learned to have an open mind and think outside the box. I became more knowledgeable to those that have different leadership styles than me and learned how to work around it. I learned about all the different styles of leading and personality types all over and how I am similar to them but also different.
What would you do differently if you were to start over?
I would have definitely done more research prior to going there and learning about Rotary itself. I also would have tried to make more friends than I did and know more about them than just their name. Overall, there isn’t much I would change because it was such a wonderful experience to be apart of and I wouldn’t want to change anything about it besides all the weight I gained from all the ice cream I had. Other than that, there is nothing I would do differently if I started over.