In 9th grade, I showed leadership by taking initiative during a school cleanup project downtown. When our Advisory class was asked to help, some students weren’t sure how to get started. I volunteered to help organize our group by dividing tasks—some of us collected trash, others sorted recyclables, and a few made sure we had supplies like gloves and bags.

Even though it was a small project, I realized that leadership means stepping up to guide others and making sure everyone feels like their role matters. By the end, our group was more efficient, and I was proud that we had made a visible difference in our community space. This experience taught me that being an empowered civic leader starts with simple actions and grows as you keep practicing responsibility and teamwork.