Florida by Kennedy

Florida by Kennedy - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my high school experience I have had the opportunity to participate in my school's Student Government Association. I have worked alongside peers, teachers, and school administrators to plan school events, conduct service projects, and set an example for the student body. Every project brought new challenges and responsibilities, but the results were so impactful, rewarding, and well worth the stressful organization, time constraints, and demanding hours.

During my junior year, while serving as a Senator in the student government program, I was chosen to be a lead for my school's homecoming parade. Attending this parade has been an annual tradition for my family for as long as I can remember. This isn't your average high school parade. It features dozens of floats traveling along a 1.5 mile course, through the downtown streets of my community. The event attracts the whole community and brings neighbors together for a fun event which showcases my school and it's accomplishments.

It was an amazing opportunity for me to be entrusted with such a significant responsibility. My sense of accomplishment was elevated as I worked closely fellow students, school board members, and the community at large. The experience was proof to me that others believe in my ability to orchestrate an event that's both entertaining and beneficial.

This project required communication between several members of student government, my advisors, community leaders, and other nearby schools. My team labored for several weeks to solidify the parade route, recruit judges, inform participants of guidelines, ensure that all of the school's various organizations were included, and promote the parade to the community.

When the event-day arrived, I committed numerous hours to help organize the lineup, confirm the safety of each float, provide candy for distribution to spectators, and verify that judges were up to speed and ready. I then rode-along with the parade floats to keep the event on schedule and organized as planned.

The response from the community was incredible. For the children, the parade's success could be measured by heaviness of their individual bags, filled with the candy they collected from each float. For their parents, it was displayed in their many smiles and waves of support. Kid's eyes lit-up as they looked up to passing football players, and as they danced in the street to the music of a marching band. A sense of unity was demonstrated by all in attendance. The fact that I played a part in creating that experience provided more satisfaction than I could have imagined. As the project came to a close I received even more enthusiastic feedback from participants and spectators alike. Those responses made me so proud of my team's work and represented a pay-off for all of our hard work.

During my senior year I was extended the opportunity to once again work with a student government team as a lead on the Homecoming Parade project. With this, came an opportunity to mentor youngers students as we produced a parade that even bigger and better than before.

These leadership experiences, over two consecutive years, offered me a great sense of accomplishment. These service opportunities have instilled a new level self-confidence which has carried over and improved my academic, social, and spiritual lives.