The most important thing any person can do to positively impact the world is to positively impact an individual. It has always been hard for me to imagine that I, with my one small life, am making any difference on a global scale. I find that I have been coming to terms with this, that even though teachers and mentors tout the idea that "you guys will be changing the world one day", very few people will be making global-level, Earth-shattering decisions as a part of their routine. In fact, I do not need to change the world, nor is the world looking for me to change it. The world will change whether or not I have anything to do with it. But I am far from powerless. Each day, I find myself in contact with a variety of people. Now, I happen to work at a nonprofit social services agency and have more regular contact with people experiencing certain difficulties (intellectual and developmental disabilities), but I firmly believe that each person has similar opportunities with any person they encounter. I have no intention to stand up and "change the world", but I can approach each person I interact with with the idea that I can be a positive part of their world. Each of the clients and community connections I meet during a typical day has their own story, their own challenges, and their own strengths and successes. I can, and I would posit, I have a duty to, listen to and learn about each of these people, treat them with respect, and serve them with a heart of love. One of my favorite parts of my current work is that I get to build relationships with each of my clients. We spend almost all of our time in groups, but I come to know each person as a person--what they like, their favorite songs, what makes them laugh, what makes them angry, what they struggle with, what they hope for in their future--and that is how I give back. In work with people who have disabilities, there tends to be lots of focus on their difficulties. People don't always remember that an adult with an intellectual disability still has goals and desires; in general society these people are considered difficult to get to know and interact with. In building relationships with my clients, I can have a positive impact on their world. I have found my passion in this type of work, and through my further education, I seek to become a better provider and servant to my clients so that I can still have this impact. In a ripple-effect-sense, these small, individual level changes will still impact the world. However and wherever I work or volunteer, I am always seeking to show the people I serve that they matter to me, that their strengths are equal to their goals, and that a good life is within their reach. They do not have to change the world. By constantly being in their corner, though, I help to ensure that the people I serve can be a part of the world, and we do all change the world, if ever so slightly, just by being in it.

In one sense, it is my job title, "Instructional Leader", that makes me a leader. However, these words are not what makes people, whether coworkers, colleagues in other disciplines, or clients, want to listen to what I have to say. A title really does very little to build faith in me, and I would argue that I was a leader in my field before the title after my name said so. One important aspect of leadership to me is treating no job as too small. My brother often likes to say that one should not ask of others what one is unwilling to do oneself, and to me, having the willingness to take on any task a team faces is a sign of my leadership. There are typical leadership roles and tasks like speaking up in meetings, delegating tasks to team members, or making program decisions, and I have done these things as well, but it is just important in my field that leaders be willing to clean up gross messes, handle difficult client behaviors, and do some heavy lifting. These tasks aren't necessarily glamourous, but having a leader that is willing to do them sends a clear message that high-quality care is everyone's responsibility, and that doing these tasks doesn't mean the person doing them isn't worthy of respect. Similarly, as a leader, I am determined to keep learning. I don't have all the skills I need to have mastered for the rest of my life. I don't know the best way to handle every situation, and it does me no good to act as if I do. While I do have experience and expertise in my field and this a valuable asset for me as a leader, my team members have knowledge and skills that I do not. It is important to me that those I lead are valued and given the chance to show their skills. Perhaps the most important trait making me a leader, though, is trustworthiness. A large part of my work is leading groups of young adults who have disabilities in different activities. Now, as the person who is "in charge" of the group, I have a significant amount of official authority as far as clients are concerned, but it is just as important in my work to build autonomy for my clients. So what happens when I ask a client to do something, that, to them, just doesn't make sense? As a leader of these groups, I must be absolutely trustworthy. My clients and my colleagues alike must feel that I am reliable, that I will treat them with respect, and that I will act in their interests. While I do have an officially recognized leadership position, my position and my title cannot serve to make me a leader in the eyes of my team or my clients. This is something I have worked hard to earn, by being a trustworthy, hardworking, and involved member of my teams. As a leader, I seek to maintain this status through continuing effort and dedication to learning from experts in my field, the organizations I am a part of, and the people I work with.

I had to learn what I wanted to do outside of school. Sure, I had an idea going in of what my goals were, the field I wanted to be in, but, much to my disappointment at the time, things just didn't work out that way. As an undergraduate, I remembering hearing from any number of people what a large percentage of working adults were in a field unrelated to their studies, but I found that flat-out frustrating. It wasn't until I had gone to work for a few years that I really began to get a sense for what field I wanted to be in, and started working on how I could get there. My desire is to create an impact on an individual basis. I have never been a "people-person"; instead I describe myself as a "persons-person". I believe that each individual person, regardless of their physical or mental abilities, has interests, gifts, and a personality to share with those who are interested--not everyone wants to share their gift with the world, but sharing life and creating relationships on an individual basis is something for everyone. My field of interest, recreational therapy, focuses on building strengths and finding people's interests in their community context, and it is important to me that the people I work with feel worthy and cared about as a result of my involvement in their life. I have also been a part of communities centered around a common interest (for example, in dance or sports) that have aside from the uniting interest have remained exclusive-feeling and not welcoming. There is growth that can happen in any community to build an inclusive an welcoming environment, and through continuing my studies I will be able to best create these environments in the communities I am a part of, strengthening individuals to build up the group.