1.

Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively

influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.

In my viewpoint, leadership is not a revelry in power and strength, rather, it is a

combination of not only confidence, but of awareness and communication. I revived and led
SIerra Vista High Schools Gay-Straight Alliance for around two years before the leadership
structure changed. I accomplished creating a near-friendly environment for LGBT youth by
developing a safe space system comprised of numerous teachers and classrooms, and created
awareness of this system through the distribution of pamphlets with that information. In
addition, I raised awareness for several LGBT issues and policies on a staff and student level
through events ranging from staff workshops, potluck socials, and in the later year of my
presidency, through peaceful protest. In in turn I helped humanize the LGBT community, or at
least reenforce the humanization and in turn helped develop connections between the straight
and cis student body with the LGBT community, both school wide and limitedly between two
high schools. In my two years leading I learned in my experience as GSA president, that
communication was a key component to creating an effective group that will not only produce
efficient results, but will give club members a sense of comfort within their environment. In
addition, people may need some sort of encouragement to speak up in the first place, in order to
be an effective leader.

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

As I had mentioned before, I had enacted various operations in an attempt to at best

create the same openness to LGBT youth in schools as was the case in colleges, and at least
create more awareness of the topic of LGBT issues within the student body. One of the
crowning jewels of my attempts was the development of a safe space system on campus
through the organization of various teachers, all voluntary. The idea was to screen new
applicants who want to make their classroom a safe space with a questionnaire, then if they
qualified, they are provided pamphlets as to how to manage a safe space, and the problems
that needed to be addressed within safe spaces. After which, I created a list of these safe
spaces, and placed them in a pamphlet along with a school map, and tips to cope with
noticeably unlikely, but very possible chance of homophobic bullying. The idea was with wide
distribution of these pamphlets, and with posters labelling classrooms as safe spaces, LGBT
youth and their allies would feel a sense of comfort and security within their school. In addition, I
had organized potlucks to help set a better, safe environment for LGBT and SVHS students to
interact with each other and in turn further humanize the LGBT community, ridding of any
barriers set previously and breaking up a pink triangle (LGBT-Only clique).

3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and
demonstrated that talent over time?

My greatest talent is my singing. I have been singing ever since kindergarten. However, I had
started formal training with voice in high school freshman year. In addition, I had expanded my
horizons by learning the basics of playing the guitar though admittedly not at proficient levels
yet. I also learned to play the violin in 5th grade, but ceased to play in 7th or 8th grade. While in
my choir class, I had voluntarily sang solos for annual christmas and pops concerts that happen
in the school year, often with satisfactory results according to my peers. In addition, I had
learned how to use recording software and equipment, with the use of Ableton software, and the
use of an audio interface and a professional microphone.

5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken
to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic
achievement?

The most significant challenge for me at least was to lead a student organization, then
then face rejection after a year or two of dedicated work. The reason it is significant to me is to
the fact that this was the first time I had faced rejection for something I was truly passionate
about. After organizing events and systems for the Gay-Straight Alliance, I was told that the
club, as a whole apparently, had wanted to change leadership because they felt like they didnt
have much say in the club. I had expressed that I had attempted to be open to new ideas and to
hear members out, but no one seemed to want to speak to me up to that point. No one even
brought up their issues with the club to me up to that point, they just planned a change of
leadership, and just sprung it on me without any sort of negotiation. Some didnt like how I
organized meetings, in a presentation-style format with me standing and presenting and the
club sitting. Others apparently didnt like how I led the club, or seemed militaristic with my
fascination with the armed forces. Others just plain flat out didnt want me, and thought that I
was a reason why membership was on the decline. Nevertheless, I tried to get reelected, failed,
and in turn, quit the GSA ever since. This struggle is still affecting me to this day. I often
wondered what exactly did I do wrong, I keep thinking if I had only made myself more
accessible, that Id still be able to lead. But even then, I still doubt my leadership skills, as well
as my social skills, since Ive faced this issue mainly on my own, and sometimes, feel that Im
on my own.