To be an UMSL Ambassador means more than wearing a red vest, being welcoming and attending our required events. To me, being an ambassador means building true relationships, furthering my leadership abilities and, most of all, getting to become the person I was meant to be. As cliché as it sounds, I am definitely a believer of the idea that if something is meant to be, it’ll happen; and, if not, then move on as there’s no use in crying over spilled milk.
This semester was filled with more opportunities than I could’ve possibly imagined, and I would like to speak about two of them. Right before the semester began, I was offered the opportunity to become a Lead as part of the UMSL Ambassador program. I was so excited to have been given this opportunity, but I was also hesitant because l am the person that usually stays in the background. The idea of being in the background may clash with those who see leadership as something that is out there for all to see; but for me, this is a part of who I am. I’ve had to grow into being comfortable with it because people left and right told me that I wasn’t a leader but a follower. I was more sensitive back then and cared more about what people said about me; but I have learned over the years that those ideas don’t really matter since this is my story and not theirs.
Even with the growth I’ve had over the course of my campus involvement experience, I knew that I had to come out of the so-called comfort zone that I created for myself. Throughout the semester, I was able to head the media/blog committee with my lead-in-training, Yazan. Although, I have been in the program for 3 years, there were still new experiences to be had.
Coincidentally, the same time I became a Lead, I was also given the opportunity to become a nanny. Just as I’ve had to grow as an ambassador and now Lead, this position has helped me improve my ability to balance professionalism with sociability, communication and, most of all, my ability to lead. Similar to my being a Lead, I’ve had to grow in my abilities to address a group and help those within that group strengthen their abilities. Although, one continues their educational journeys and the other is just starting, I am glad that I was given the opportunity to be able to engage both groups in their current journeys of life.
