Spring 2023 Leadership Excellence Scholarship Winner

Jayla Johnson

Jayla has dedicated a significant amount of time and effort to student government and has a great understanding of what it takes to be a leader. As she continues to develop her leadership skills, we know Jayla will exceed all expectations throughout her academic career. We wish Jayla the best of luck!

Read Jayla’s Essay:

Being a leader varies from person to person and it’s something that I did not understand for a long time. I was graciously allowed to step into a leadership role that will give me beneficial skills that I can use throughout my life. Once I was elected parliamentarian for the student council, I soon took on the rule of a true leader in a way that I never had before. From taking on this role, I learned that leadership means having a passion to serve and guide others with integrity, selflessness, and confidence. All of these skills give me the desire to continue to help and guide others to create something bigger than us. I've had to display these qualities in many ways once I became a student council officer and I now use these qualities in my everyday life outside of being an officer. I think that it's very important to learn these skills set in an extracurricular activity like this because it allows me to grow as a person while helping people around me blossom as well. I have experienced so many different opportunities to showcase the different qualities I have that make me a leader. For example, planning the most prominent school events of the year like a homecoming, or continuing to work when my plans aren’t going so well. These setbacks oftentimes make others want to quit or give up because of the difficulties of the situation. However, I acknowledge the setbacks and I took initiative to make sure that we had things to fall back on if things didn’t go as planned. A leader must also work well with a team and understand their group's mindset. It’s important to learn these skills as a teenager but these skills carry into my adult life. I have learned how to work with a sort of different mindsets and personalities because I am a representation of my student body and they must be heard in a positive light. I had to be able to listen to my peers' ideas even if I think it was not great or that things could be done in a better way. Compromising and adjusting are a big part of being a leader and it’s something I can say that I struggled with at first but I can confidently say I have mastered those skills. As a college student, I hope to apply what I’ve learned in high school by joining and enjoying the different extracurricular activities and programs that the university offers while continuing to demonstrate being a leader.