Are leaders born, or are they made?
I believe we all lead in one way or another.
From being born a full trimester premature, to surviving over a dozen surgeries, to pivoting during the pandemic to recently mourning the loss of my only uncle so close to his 43rd birthday, I have learned that I can bounce back and learn from difficult circumstances.
That’s what being a leader is all about, committing to the process when everyone else gives up.
When I was born, I could fit into the palm of my mother's hand. At 2lbs, 7oz, most doctors didn't think I would survive long or have a detrimental disability or disease. After surviving a dozen surgeries before the age of four, I'm now a senior Honors Dual-Enrollment student at Dreher High School in Columbia, SC. I grew up in Orangeburg, SC for the majority of my life, a place where students aren't encouraged to become the best version of themselves. I know this to be true based on the students I attended school with while I was in Orangeburg and the high-school dropout gang we lived next to for 6 years. I try to wake up every day and be optimistic about the opportunities that could come. My mom tells me I was born a leader. Whether it’s helping and organizing fundraisers for babies in the NICU where I was born or directing Cadets in NJROTC, I’m being a champion for change by tapping into my gifts. I believe that supporting equality means knowing we all have something different to offer and that makes a stronger world. I, along with millions of people, stand against discrimination and I support equality for others in my life by standing up for the oppressed, whether it be on the street or in school. These simple beliefs have helped shape me into the person I am today, and who I strive to continue to be throughout college and the remainder of my life.
To me, inspiration means taking the ideals and values of either an organization or person and incorporating them into your life and character. Recently, I’ve been inspired by Black innovators who have made a significant impact in STEM, such as Katherine Johnson and George Washington Carver. Books like Hidden Figures and Black Pioneers of Science and Invention gave me inspiration to pursue my goal of becoming a licensed anesthesiologist. The COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted striking inequity in preventable deaths from persistent disparities in access to affordable health care in Black communities. More students of color need support and guidance to not only apply and complete medical school training but also allow for a more diverse physician pool when people are in need or want to receive healthcare from someone who looks like them. I'd use my platform as an anesthesiologist to serve as a beacon of light to other young, black males who aspire to have a healthcare career. This is important because blacks are underrepresented in many high-level careers, especially in the healthcare field where Blacks make up less than 5% of those in the medical profession. Not only do I want to help change those statistics, but I’ve also seen how those in the medical profession were stretched, stressed, and pushed beyond their limits during the pandemic. With strong efforts, the younger generation can find inspiration from myself and other black doctors through our community acts and profile to pursue their dreams, and not to let racial barriers and stereotypes prevent them from doing so.
Popularity always wins out over merit in the clubs I belong to, including Leo Club. In this case, my title is simply "representative," but my behavior does not reflect that. For instance, since this was the first year of the club, we had to brainstorm during one of our sessions for an activity that would both be feasible and beneficial in uplifting the spirits of our students and the community. The majority of the officers were at a loss for words, while the rest were more interested in brainstorming ideas that would make the kids laugh than in offering any insight into the community. So my sister, a well-deserved officer, brainstormed on what could bring the citizens together and give them a chance to thrive as one and the lightbulb lit up. We devised the Great Griffin Grab, a variation on The Big Grab, in which participants would gather, erect various stations, and offer for sale or donation their handmade or vintage things.
We all agreed to do this, and my sister and I took the initiative to run the remainder of the meeting as soon as we got to work. We weren't sure what more we needed to do because neither of us had ever attended one of these events in person. We inquired about the opinions and general additions of the others. In the end, we partitioned the board according to the event schedule, the things we could supply, including chairs and tables, and the specifications of the suppliers. We also have a portion set out for entertaining extras like games, food trucks, and music. After determining what we needed, we divided up the kids into places they had to go, individuals we needed to talk to, and decorations we needed to make. The teachers felt they knew the finest places to call, so we even let them continue with the food. Even though the planning took weeks, we seemed to move quickly and effectively through the process.
When the Great Griffin Grab finally happened, my sister and I were among with just nine of the club's twenty students and all of our advisors. However, it didn;t matter because we quickly arranged the tables in the gym and in front of the school, assigning people to their assigned roles such as helpers, poster spinners, and table monitors. We were ready for every citizen that soon emerged and set up, far more than I had anticipated for our first event. Assisting everyone with setting up their stuff and then watching them interact with the customers was such a blast. Handmade jewelry and bracelets, baked delicacies, and old furniture were all available at the stations. We even had support from a nearby fish fry business.
Everything about the event was fantastic, and I was thrilled to her that everyone had a great time. They were so enthralled that they kept asking, even weeks after, when we would do it again. It was incredible to watch everyone gather at an event we planned for them, grinning, and wanting more. What I especially loved was the fact that even with only a few people, we all pulled through, had fun, and did phenomenal hosting. I genuinely felt as though I had done something to help the indiviaduals I care about. With the disheartening health crisis going on with smaller town, it makes me want to do even more. As a future pharmacist, I want to give back and I plan to do it through serving this rural community and breaking racial disparities within the field of medicine.
