By Abad Macabanding
As a YES Student, it is our goal to promote mutual understanding between two countries, foster longer ties, bridge the gap between the cultural differences of two countries by sharing and adapting each other’s culture and most importantly, to acquire leadership skills which can benefit our community by using and applying those skills and knowledge that we have learned during our stay here in the U.S. It is important to enhance and learn leadership skills because it does not only benefit myself, but also my community as a whole by making a difference in a totally positive way by being an effective leader, a role model, and a community changer. As we all know, youth are key to effective community decision making and positive outcomes for a successful future, because I believe that youth is the hope of our country. Becoming a YES exchange student is both an opportunity and responsibility because it requires important leadership skills. Based on my experience, learning and developing good leadership skills as an exchange student will serve the student well when we leave our host communities and step into our communities with an advocacy and goals within our hearts and minds. At first, it is essential to challenge yourself to learn important skills that will make you a better leader. So far, there are leadership skills that I learned and enhanced during my stay here in the U.S. These leadership skills shape who I am today and will give a good impact on my community and I want to even develop these for the rest of my stay here in the U.S. It is important for me as an individual to develop a strong sense of personal leadership style and use this in respecting and tolerating each other’s differences, avoiding stereotypes and racism, and influencing and inspiring other people to be better versions of themselves as advocates and representatives of their countries.
As a peace advocate and an exchange student, it is important for me to keep a positive attitude. First and foremost, maintaining positivity towards things is influential. And not only does it inspire others but it also affects the conception of people to me. It is important to keep in ourselves that our disposition and attitude will influence how others see us. Living in a country with a culture different from yours is challenging and culture shocking, but practicing positivity will go along your way in allowing you to have a fulfilling experience and showing others that you can handle yourself in new and challenging situations. It is important to have confidence, patience, and courage in overcoming those fears that might hinder your experience while being here in the U.S. So far, one of the challenging skills that I learned as an exchange student is to work hard on myself. It’s impossible to lead someone else if you don’t lead yourself in the right direction. You need to work on yourself by becoming a good example to others and having a good communication. Good communication means listening as well as talking. It is important for me to have speaking skills to communicate my vision with others as an exchange student, which is an essential part of being a leader. I believe that a true definition of an exchange student is being able to share, learn and respect each other’s opinion in all things through communication.
Furthermore, another leadership skill that I have learned is taking initiatives and sharing ideas. Sharing my culture here in the U.S. is a once in a lifetime opportunity and often am I given an opportunity to share my culture with another country. It is important to know that my perspective on how I share my culture is not only appreciated and valued, but I have brought a whole new set of experiences that my host community does not have. Taking initiative to participate in community activities, clubs and school activities and being engaged is what defines not only a leader, but also as a learner, as it enables me to learn what I am doing and why I am doing it. Volunteering provides an important way for me to learn about my host community, increase mutual understanding, and helps me to develop leadership and organizational skills to bring back to my home community. Also, respect and tolerance is another thing that I learned. I came to the U.S. to learn more about their culture so it is a must for everybody to respect the culture of each other. For as long as we respect and tolerate each other’s differences, avoid racism and stereotypes, then we will attain peace and understanding with each other.
Last but not least is using the SMART goal. SMART, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound, helps me to set and achieve my goal properly and attainable. As we are reaching our goals in life, we encounter failures and mistakes as we go through our everyday life, but for me, encountering problems is not what I considered as a hindrance in reaching the things that I want to pursue, but rather I considered them as challenges in life that I have to face to test my determination in fulfilling my goals as a future leader of my community. Everyone makes mistakes, but as a part of my learning, I learned how to admit and recognize mistakes, learn from mistakes and move on.
This will benefit my community when I return to my home country and am able to articulate differences and similarities between the U.S. and my home country. The knowledge and skills that I have learned here in U.S. for almost a year are of a great advantage not only to myself, but also to my community, as I can contribute new ideas in shaping our community for a better now and future. Thus, I can use my leadership skills to my community by participating in a club or an organization that will aim for peace advocacy. Being a peace advocate takes me to an instinct of encouraging and inspiring other people that everything starts with peace. I believe that Peace stands for Progress, Empowerment/Equality, Acceptance via Cultural Exchange and that pushed me to decide to be an exchange student. Creating community service activities and volunteering are another ways for me to use my leadership skills to my community. Using my insights and skills in my home community by volunteering and service projects provides a big change, but continuous impact in my community. Lastly, sharing what I have learned through presentations and gathering will give enough idea and knowledge to my community about the importance of being role models of our community. By being a leader in your community, not only do I inspire them, I also make a small difference, yet have a great impact on our community.
Abad Macabanding is a student at Lanesboro High School. He is one of seven area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 19th year.
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