SOAR

This is the hardest week in college so far. The semester is coming to an end and teachers are piling on the work. Cheerleading tryouts for the nationals team are approaching next Monday. ICC is scrambling to get in their last events for Fall Semester. SOAR graduation is tonight. Acceptance letters are coming in at work. It seems like everyone is scurrying to do their jobs. On top of that, there is christmas shopping which is always a chore. As I mentioned, tonight is the graduation ceremony from SOAR. It feels like last week that I had my introductory retreat for the group. It's weird to already be graduating. I was thinking about it today, I don't even know the names of half the people in SOAR and there are only 40 of us. We met once a week for two hours, and did service projects together, but yet I still do not know them. This really upset me. I know that I didn't make an effort to really know everyone there. That's something that I found out that I need to work on, and maybe that realization was why I took the course. I know that from this course, I'm suppose to learn how to be a leader. I know that from it I've learned many things. I learned that sometimes it's okay to step back and let others take control. Prior to SOAR, I was very much a control freak and I would never do group projects and trust others. Now, I can see that if I do let go things can get done just as well. SOAR has been a great experience for me, and I hope that others can have it. I plan on doing the second level of SOAR next year called "develop." I feel as if leadership skills can only help me. At the beginning of the year, I wrote this in my blog:

Leadership is a valuable skill to possess in any stage of your life. As a college student, knowing more about leadership will help me to succeed in the organizations that I am already involved in, along with the organizations that I will get involved in over the years. Being part of IRHA, CEN, working in admissions, and participating on the cheerleading team, I hope to eventually hold leadership positions in those areas so that I can contribute positively to the campus community.

I think that I have acheived most of these since that entry. I hold a chair position on CEN and am now Freshman Class Treasurer. SOAR has allowed me more self confidence and a step above the others in terms of leadership and organization. Those skills I will always cherish!