Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
My creative side is something i hold very close to me. I express it in the way that i problem solve, the way that i write, but most of all, i express my creative side musically. I am a singer. I am a writer. When I was in middle school, the peak of teenage angst for me, I used to write all of my feelings into songs. I look back to these projects and find that I expressed my feelings in perfect ways, ways that I feel I couldn't now. Even when i am not writing, though, i sing my emotions, and my singing perfectly expresses my creativity. In the way that i am constantly finding different melodies and harmonies to go with the music that i like, and the way that i see the beauty and creativity in everyone i see with the same passion for music. Another way that i express my creativity is in the way that i counsel or advise the people that i love. I find it easy to empathize and put myself into other people’s shoes. A mix of that with my ability to see what is most productive, most fulfilling, and most rewarding in situations allows me to help people navigate difficult situations, feelings, and experiences. This allows me to act as a mediator in most situations as well, which is extremely useful, and will be very useful in my career.
Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
During my time working at Seaworld, I have had the opportunity to learn from team leads and get a good understanding of what they do and how they do it. I believe my time there has given my supervisors a chance to see how adaptable I can be and has encouraged them to place me in charge when there is no one else. There are times when our team leads are unable to be present, and I am put in charge of the shows. These opportunities allow me to be in the shoes of our team leads and gain experience of what it is really like to lead a team of ambassadors. During these times, I am able to use all of the negative things ambassadors may have to say about the leads and use it to make attempts at making things different for them. For example, ambassadors complain about a lack of organization from certain leads, causing a disorder in the times that everyone takes their breaks and lunches. Being in a lead position, it's clear to me that the solution to this is simply to plan ahead of time and make a schedule for breaks. I am more than happy to accommodate other ambassadors, and it makes me happy to know that I am able to find solutions for their negative experiences with our leads.
What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
My greatest skill is my adaptability. I consider this my greatest skill because it has allowed me to navigate any situation you can think of. From interactions with other people to anticipating future problems, my adaptability has created an eye for detail in me, and that is useful in many ways. Having this skill has allowed me to solve and foresee many problems in my educational journey, such as adjusting to the learning styles of teachers who don't teach in a way that is best for my learning style, and knowing when a classroom environment will not benefit me. This is a very useful skill to have because it allows me to read the room, and read people, which then allows me to navigate conversations in the most convenient way for everybody. Being so adaptable helps me teach others what I know without them having to learn the same way I did, which I believe is good because not everyone can adapt to things as easily as others may. I am always eager to share my knowledge with others, and if I am able to, prevent them from experiencing the same problems I have.
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced
An educational barrier I faced in my high school experience was losing any and all motivation for school due to a tough personal situation. During these times my GPA dropped below 1.0, and although this wasn't what i wanted for myself, i was in a freeze state, unable to do anything to help myself. During this time I had the opportunity to join independent studies, where there was limited space for students. Knowing that I was taking a spot that someone else could use to help themselves graduate high school gave me motivation to do things right, even if school wasn't going to be what it used to be for me. I was extremely grateful for the opportunity to make up for the damage I had done to myself academically. I was able to meet teachers who helped shape my understanding of why school is one of the most important ways I can show up for myself. Meeting these teachers and having this opportunity, a second chance, helped me to look past any personal issues and really appreciate and use this opportunity to help myself. This situation helped me to show up for myself in all other aspects and taught me the importance of doing so. I see education through different eyes now. I understand that education is a privilege, and I plan to take advantage of this opportunity to have it.