My leadership by Karli

My leadership by Karli - May 2024 Scholarship Essay

I remember the stage, the smell of hairspray, the nervous rumbling of my stomach, the
older dancers I aspired to be like… talking backstage as if this performance was nothing to be worried about. One of those older girls is named Madeline Mickas and she has been my biggest influence in my leadership journey. Madeline is three years older than me and we had been dancing at the same studios throughout our lives. We are also family friends and often do activities together.

The year we switched studios was a transition year for everyone. For Madeline, who was in seventh grade at the time, she experienced a big change as there was not as much influence of high school dancers at this studio. This is when she stepped into her role as an official "older girl." This leadership role includes instructing classes, keeping people on task, planning team bonding activities, and overall striving to be the best dancer and person she can. Madeline seemed to do every one of those things perfectly. She also showcased such passion and dedication to the dance program. Not only is she extremely talented but she also has the kindest heart. She was willing to help with any project that came about. I would often see her staying after class or taking things home that needed to be worked on like costumes, props, etc. During high school She was able to balance being a student enrolled in honors, AP, and college classes while dancing twenty hours a week and teaching at least ten hours of dance on top of that. Regardless of the stress that may have come from that she always knew how to get herself out of ruts and come to dance ready to work. Overall she was the best role model that I could have in my life.

When Madeline graduated I knew that our studio would never be the same without her as a student but it also inspired me to take initiative to keep our program in good hands. During her last few years dancing I was able to dance with her as we were now on similar calibers. I became extremely close to her during this period because both of us had paralleling life experiences that we have bonded over. Through this I was able to see more clearly on how to lead and how to balance my life's challenges while keeping the team in check. Many of her leadership strategies I have asked about and applied to help further our team's connection to each other. I would argue that in dance, more than other sports,the connection between teammates has to be stronger. Dance is all about creating a story and theme throughout the movements. Everyone must be 100% invested in the piece we are performing. Therefore if there are conflicts between people the dance's integrity goes down. So as a leader it is important to have good communication throughout the team, ensuring that quarrels get fixed.

To this day Madeline and I talk daily and I have consulted in her if I run into an unforeseen team issue. I am so thankful that I have had someone like her in my life because I don't think I would be where I am today without her. I hope that I have influenced people just like she had influenced me. As I am a senior I will be leaving behind the dance team I can proudly call my family. But I have hope that the team will continue to flourish as a new generation of leaders take the stage.