Looking around the classroom, I notice that half of my economic's class is asleep. We were given the assignment to read the first ten chapters of "Automatic Millionaire" by David Bach, which many led students to role their eyes in annoyance. I, on the other hand, was intrigued by the first chapter explaining that it was simple to become a millionaire. How could becoming rich be so simple if so many people are poor? As I went on to read the book, I noticed that becoming a millionaire is not such an impossible dream to have. Bach says that the key to making yourself rich is to make the system automatic, a piece of advice I have taken to heart. By automatic, he meant to set up a savings account that takes a small amount from your salary and puts it away for future retirement. This system keeps your money safe before you pay your taxes or spend your money on useless items. From my experience with some members of my family, I had always thought investing was nearly impossible to keep up with. But, from learning from the wisdom of David Bach, I have learned that if I start saving my money now, and avoid falling into the latte factor trap I can live a worry free life.

The score is 7-8, my serve with 30-40 in the set. I look over to my doubles partner whose serious expression is unlike I've ever seen, especially on a girl who is known to be so bubbly and lighthearted. As I ace my serve bringing the score to deuce, I know the game has changed. The past 4 games have been a losing streak, 40-"love," but our consistent serves have brought us back. Before I knew it, I was running into my partner's arms and cheering. Looking back, you would think that my determination or teamwork are skills I would like to highlight. Or maybe my commitment to practice that led me to win the game. But what you don't know is that same day I was a shoulder to cry on. The first and third singles players looked to me, not as a teammate, but as a friend. Compassion has helped me to build long lasting relationships with friends, family, teachers, and coworkers. It has also allowed me to understand the issues that the less privileged half of society goes through. It has especially led me to take action through community service at my school's Key Club, or outside of school through the Rock N Rawhide Foundation. Being able to empathize with others to understand the struggles they have faced will help me to change the future. Although I've had my own daily struggles, I want to focus the attention to those who's challenges go unnoticed. As a leader, I want to help the individuals that deserve the same chances as those who have opportunities handed to them. Being a leader does not mean stepping on others to get what you want. It means help others along the way, so they too can accomplish their goals. As I transition into my adulthood and major in Business Management, I want to use these qualities to build a company of my own with a team that works together to achieve success. Whether it is in the fashion industry, technology, or retail, the company I help to build with be one of innovation. On the tennis court, in the classroom, or at home, compassion will follow me every step of the way.

I exercise leadership in all faucets of my life. Whether it is through my community service, as captain of the tennis team or president of the psychology club, or as an only child taking charge of my life, leadership is a main quality I am proud to say I have. As a member of the Key Club and roadie in the Rock N Rawhide Foundation, I devote much of my free time to making change. As a key club member, I collect donations for fundraising events at my school, and have managed the clubs expenses as treasurer in my freshman year. As a roadie, I collected inventory of pet donations from well known stores such as Petco, and have transported these goods to local animal shelters. Being able to take action on an issue that is so important to me has impacted my goals in life. My leadership especially shines as captain of the tennis team where I make connections with my teammates in order to improve our skills on the court. Being a leader means helping a group reach a goal, such as winning a match, but it also means taking time to learn from those around you. In psychology club, I take time to research about the topics that my club members want to study and then create a lesson plan to report my findings. Similarly, as a "GLOW" mentor, or Growing Leader of the World, I counsel students from the Scholars' Academy middle school. This highly selective program at my school, which requires teacher recommendation, is where I portion of my time after school each month. Covid-19 has posed many challenges for students in the younger grades, so my fellow mentors and I have created team building activities to break the ice and help students make friends in such an unprecedented time. We focus on improving the mental health of these students through fun and engaging activities. Taking my experience as a student transitioning from elementary to middle school, I have been able to help children make the right decisions early on. Leadership means taking charge to resolve issues that is important to person. It means being the first one to volunteer for community service, or sharing your knowledge with others. But at the same time, it means being mature enough to understand that taking a step back or acknowledging your mistakes doesn't make you any less of a leader. Leadership is important to me because it has helped me to over come my fears of being judged by others. It has also helped me to realize what issues are important to me, and that even small actions I take can help to improve conditions of the less fortunate. My experiences have not discouraged me from wanting to be a leader even if some times were difficult. If anything, being able to overcome these challenges has made me crave leadership even more.