Leadership in any organization is critically important. I currently lead a FLO FEST, Freshman Leadership Organization for students in Engineering, Science and Technology at Texas A&M University. My current role is the Executive Director VP of Finance. Last year I led our "relations" team which was responsible for the recruitment process, as well as all social media impact. I took on the role of group photographer, edited all pics and managed posts to all of our social media channels. Our leadership organization is coed and is 50 members strong each year. But - we have to weed through 400 applications and interview students to decide who is accepted into the organization. We focus on showing students how to lead through organizing and executing volunteer opportunities, as well as study groups and social events. One of my favorite events each year is called "The Big Event" put on by Texas A&M University. Each organization is given the opportunity to go out into the local Bryan/College Station community and assist residents with any needs they may have. I've mowed and cleared lawns and even spread tons of mulch. I also love when the team gets together to volunteer at our local food bank. It just feels good to give back. But with any sizeable group, there are also challenges. With the role of being an executive comes the responsibility of choosing the next year’s set of directors out of the current freshmen in the organization. Normally this wouldn’t be any more complex than hosting some interviews and making a selection, but it became interesting when we had more applicants than we had positions for. I found myself having to turn down members who I consider friends that I’ve made over the past year. Some rumors were spreading about the other executives and me, and we lost some friends along the way. There was no step-by-step on how to cool down this situation, and it felt like there was no one to talk to about it. I reached out to the previous Executives to get their feedback on this situation. I also shared the situation with my Mom, who spent many years in management. The way I chose to resolve this conflict was to have very intentional and personal conversations with the people who were upset. This was not an easy decision to make because some of the things I had heard said about me were very hurtful, but I talked to them anyway. I made sure to remind them that the decisions the executive team had made were not personal and I answered any questions that they had. Some of these conversations were a little bit harder than others, but in the end, everyone took it very well and things cooled down over time. I learned from this experience that there won’t always be an easy solution to every problem and that even though it’s usually the more arduous path, being the bigger person is always the best route to take. This experience of managing a process and diffusing a challenging situation will serve me well in future professional management roles. The FEST organization has taught me about leadership, time management, planning, finances, volunteerism and conflict management. It’s also taught me about diversity, making friends, having fun and giving back. Engineers commonly work in teams, so I can see myself utilizing all of these skills in my future career while having fun and giving back to the community. Going through these experiences has given me an education not directly on the degree plan, but more appropriately, the life plan.

My name is Jack Lance and I'm currently a Junior at Texas A&M University pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Mechatronics Engineering. Learning of my acceptance to Texas A&M was a super exciting day for me. But then, I had to figure out how to pay for it. As a child of divorce, things weren't so easy going between two households with parents that do not get along. While in high school, I was bullied and called the "bag boy" since I always had to bring my clothing to swim practice with me on exchange days. Also during high school, my parents ended up in a legal battle over child support, which caused lots of tension and affected me emotionally. I was distracted and my grades and my attitude changed. However, I told myself that the only way I was going to get into the college I wanted was by doing my best in school and beyond. So I turned things around - scored a 1410 on my SAT, did volunteer work and became Captain of the Swim Team. For the last 6 years, I've lived primarily with my single Mother. When COVID hit, her business was shut down and had no income. She filed for unemployment and applied to countless jobs, but didn't have much luck finding a salary to support our entire family. I have a sister too. My Mom was given a job offer last year, but they mandated she be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and that was not an option. She started her own business, but it barely brings in enough to cover basic needs. She helps me when she can by cooking me my favorite foods when I am home. I work Summers to help pay for school and keep my 21-year-old truck running. Each year I apply to many scholarships to get the assistance I need to fund my education. I've had some success and I even qualify for the Pell Grant. However, the cost of attendance at a Texas State University is upwards of $30,000 per year for Full-time tuition and fees, plus room and board and other expenses. As an engineer, I am on a 5-year plan to complete my education. I'm interviewing for Summer internships now. I promise you that investing in me and my education will never be a waste of your time. I'm looking for a hand-up, not a hand-out. I've worked hard to get this invaluable education. I maintained a GPA of 4.0 my Freshman year, was accepted into the Mechatronics Engineering program and currently have a 3.78 GPA. I still do volunteer work and run the FLO FEST, a leadership organization for Freshmen in Engineering, Science and Technology. My current role is Executive Director/VP of Finance. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship!

My name is Jack Lance and I'm currently a Junior at Texas A&M University pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Mechatronics Engineering. Learning of my acceptance to Texas A&M was a super exciting day for me. But then, I had to figure out how to pay for it. As a child of divorce, things weren't so easy going between two households with parents that do not get along. While in high school, I was bullied and called the "bag boy" since I always had to bring my clothing to swim practice with me on exchange days. Also during high school, my parents ended up in a legal battle over child support, which caused lots of tension and affected me emotionally. I was distracted and my grades and my attitude changed. However, I told myself that the only way I was going to get into the college I wanted was by doing my best in school and beyond. So I turned things around - scored a 1410 on my SAT, did volunteer work and became Captain of the Swim Team. For the last 6 years, I've lived primarily with my single Mother. When COVID hit, her business was shut down and had no income. She filed for unemployment and applied to countless jobs, but didn't have much luck finding a salary to support our entire family. I have a sister too. My Mom was given a job offer last year, but they mandated she be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and that was not an option. She started her own business, but it barely brings in enough to cover basic needs. She helps me when she can by cooking me my favorite foods when I am home. I work Summers to help pay for school and keep my 21-year-old truck running. Each year I apply to many scholarships to get the assistance I need to fund my education. I've had some success and I even qualify for the Pell Grant. However, the cost of attendance at a Texas State University is upwards of $30,000 per year for Full-time tuition and fees, plus room and board and other expenses. As an engineer, I am on a 5-year plan to complete my education. I'm interviewing for Summer internships now. I promise you that investing in me and my education will never be a waste of your time. I'm looking for a hand-up, not a hand-out. I've worked hard to get this invaluable education. I maintained a GPA of 4.0 my Freshman year, was accepted into the Mechatronics Engineering program and currently have a 3.78 GPA. I still do volunteer work and run the FLO FEST, a leadership organization for Freshmen in Engineering, Science and Technology. My current role is Executive Director/VP of Finance. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship!