The Evolution of a Leader
Max Richter
The late President John F. Kennedy once said “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” To me, as an eleventh grade student, I could not agree more. I am a 16 year old who is both leading and learning. The story of how I evolved into a leader all started when I joined the HTHMA Student Ambassador program in the 9th grade. I wanted to improve my poor public speaking skills by giving tours and talking with people from all around the world. Being able to engage in a simple conversation with someone really helped me feel more comfortable when it came time to standing up in front of the class to give a presentation. The transformation into becoming a leader started here.
I first felt a sense of leadership at the end of 9th grade. I was in charge of our final Physics project exhibition and had many large decisions to make. I remember those five days like it was yesterday. There was a major deadline hanging over the whole class. I remember feeling the tension in the air. I had a long list of things that needed to be done in less than 48 hours. From cleaning, to organizing, to hanging work on the wall, I was the one in charge of getting it done. While this was a challenge to me, never once in the five day exhibition preparation period did I feel stressed. I felt comfortable and at ease the entire time. If it wasn’t for the student ambassador program, I would not have had this much success. This is one great example of the wonders this program does for people like me! It began to seem that everything was beginning to fall into place.
Student Ambassadors was another area where I had quite a bit of success. A Student Ambassador does more than just give a tour of our school to visitors, they lead groups in a conversation and help with planning of events such as residencies and conferences inside High Tech High. Some people become a student ambassador to add to their resume and college application. To me, it is more than just five words on a piece of paper. It is about the experience of talking with adults and students from around the world. I know for a fact that this is something that my friends in a large public high school have never had the chance to do.
Something unique about us leaders is that we are always open to a challenge. When people hear that word, they cringe. We, on the other hand, rise up. Some of these challenges are harder than others. However, no matter how hard they are, I stick to them and never give up. Everyone else I work with feels the same. When we take a challenge, we seem to come together. Sometimes, this could be dangerous. To many leaders in one place, could mean too much power. However, this brings us together. Our community grows as we work together.
Being a leader is something that will forever run in my blood. John F. Kennedy is a leader I look up to. And much like him, I learn from my mistakes as a leader. I worked to improve those skills and now, I feel like an even better person.
Max Richter
The late President John F. Kennedy once said “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” To me, as an eleventh grade student, I could not agree more. I am a 16 year old who is both leading and learning. The story of how I evolved into a leader all started when I joined the HTHMA Student Ambassador program in the 9th grade. I wanted to improve my poor public speaking skills by giving tours and talking with people from all around the world. Being able to engage in a simple conversation with someone really helped me feel more comfortable when it came time to standing up in front of the class to give a presentation. The transformation into becoming a leader started here.
I first felt a sense of leadership at the end of 9th grade. I was in charge of our final Physics project exhibition and had many large decisions to make. I remember those five days like it was yesterday. There was a major deadline hanging over the whole class. I remember feeling the tension in the air. I had a long list of things that needed to be done in less than 48 hours. From cleaning, to organizing, to hanging work on the wall, I was the one in charge of getting it done. While this was a challenge to me, never once in the five day exhibition preparation period did I feel stressed. I felt comfortable and at ease the entire time. If it wasn’t for the student ambassador program, I would not have had this much success. This is one great example of the wonders this program does for people like me! It began to seem that everything was beginning to fall into place.
Student Ambassadors was another area where I had quite a bit of success. A Student Ambassador does more than just give a tour of our school to visitors, they lead groups in a conversation and help with planning of events such as residencies and conferences inside High Tech High. Some people become a student ambassador to add to their resume and college application. To me, it is more than just five words on a piece of paper. It is about the experience of talking with adults and students from around the world. I know for a fact that this is something that my friends in a large public high school have never had the chance to do.
Something unique about us leaders is that we are always open to a challenge. When people hear that word, they cringe. We, on the other hand, rise up. Some of these challenges are harder than others. However, no matter how hard they are, I stick to them and never give up. Everyone else I work with feels the same. When we take a challenge, we seem to come together. Sometimes, this could be dangerous. To many leaders in one place, could mean too much power. However, this brings us together. Our community grows as we work together.
Being a leader is something that will forever run in my blood. John F. Kennedy is a leader I look up to. And much like him, I learn from my mistakes as a leader. I worked to improve those skills and now, I feel like an even better person.