Jason Reynolds

An effective leader is one who also serves as an effective team member. It is as important to create a collaborative, motivating experience as it is to take part in it yourself and undergo growth with a team. In my experience with leadership, I have been able to serve extensively in both of these roles. I have been a member of both my high school Student Council and South Piedmont's Student Government Association (SGA). Through this experience, I have developed my collaborative skills and evolved into a strong and confident leader. 

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I joined my high school's Student Council during its inaugural year, my sophomore year in 2017, as the vice president of my class. One of the club's main objectives was to create a school newsletter. When the person who said they would be the editor dropped the commitment, I stepped in and composed the first newsletter. From that point, I was the editor of the newsletter. I put a couple of hours into it each week, contacting the teachers to garner information for students. As I became more of a senior member, I began to implement some of my ideas to make things run more smoothly. Concerning the newsletter, I decided to involve more people and worked to assign each council member a teacher to collect information from. Regarding the general planning of events, I worked with the advisor to create several committees, assigning students to plan areas such as sports tournaments, food, and more as a part of our larger events. I got to work alongside my peers and participate in a number of volunteer opportunities, discovering my nd a passion for helping people. 

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In pursuing this passion, I learned about South Piedmont's SGA during my junior year. Excited to participate, I applied as a delegate for the Spring of 2019, before applying for my current position on the executive board. Joining the executive board was a large step to take, as it demanded a great deal of time (a minimum of 80 service hours per semester) and collaboration. I had to learn how to effectively work with an entirely new team and was much more involved in planning events as well as additional volunteering. In my specific position as the Public Relations Officer, I work in coordination with the officer on the other campus to create and distribute the school publications, the Stall Report and Kiosk. I have had to overcome difficulties in working with others and strengthen my ability to be a contributing member to a successful team. I have also been able to go beyond a team member and lead others to success. 

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I am glad to say I did not completely abandon Student Council. While my commitments in the Fall of 2019 were too much for me to remain editor of the newsletter, I planned around this. I asked another respected student if they would be interested. After they agreed, I worked to train them to become the current editor, designing a new format and transitioning a system of contact. I completed the first volume of the new year and since then they have gradually taken over and developed into their own successful writer. In addition, I still stay in close contact today with the friends I made through Student Council, reminding me of the great value of networking. 

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In general, the opportunity to grow and advance through these two governing bodies has been a large source of my leadership. I have really tried to improve my leadership skills and become a better team member, something that is in great demand across all disciplines, especially in STEM. I can envision myself using these valuable skills as the leader for a research team, or perhaps as the lead professor for a department at a university.