How GG Helped Me Become a Better Leader
Madison M., Olmsted Falls High School President, shares how starting a chapter at her school has impacted her community and her professional development.
Throughout my year of being president, I have planned various events. It is such a rewarding feeling to hear from the seniors about how they feel. Each event serves such a deep purpose beyond makeovers. I would go out of my way to get others involved, spend time getting to know the ladies, and do whatever I could to bring a smile to their faces. I would say I have gone above and beyond by planning, giving makeovers, leading our volunteers and founding this chapter. Originally, GlamourGals was not a part of my school. I had heard about it from one of my friends and I instantly knew that I wanted to start a chapter at my school. My friend and I found a trusted teacher to be our advisor and went to our school board to seek approval. It was intimidating to bring a new idea to these adults, but we stood firm in our goal and the message behind GlamourGals. Before we started this chapter at my high school this year, there were no programs like GlamourGals in my area. Senior isolation is a serious problem across the world, but even more so in my community. By starting our chapter I began making an impact in my area. I was able to be hands-on in order to solve a problem. Through our social media account and word-of-mouth, I think that we’ve touched a lot of people that might not have thought about volunteering for something like this.
Through our chapter, we have brought together many different types of people who want to make an impact. Our group will continue to flourish in the following years to come. I know that the senior ladies that we worked with loved it, so I feel very content that GlamourGals in our community will live on, even as I move away to college and to a new community. I hope to continue making an impact like this no matter where I find myself, and I believe that because of the GlamourGals experience, several students are motivated in the same manner. My favorite part about the experience was planning themed events because I knew they would bring joy to everyone participating. Each event felt special, and volunteers and seniors became excited for future events. I feel that I’ve made meaningful relationships with these women and I can only hope they feel the same. Either way, I know that I’ve learned a lot through this experience and I will continue to volunteer throughout my life.
I have always been a very driven and dedicated person. Being the president of my GlamourGals chapter has only improved these qualities and my leadership skills. I had the important job of leading my fellow volunteers, as well as making sure we left a meaningful impact on our seniors. GlamourGals allowed me to fulfill these goals of mine through a topic I am passionate about. Leadership requires important qualities such as responsibility, drive and communication skills. One crucial quality that people tend to forget about is empathy. This experience has really allowed me to deepen my sense of empathy. Empathizing with the seniors and listening to each of their stories was an extremely enlightening experience. I was able to lend a helping hand and give them my support. Empathy transcends sympathy, it is the ability to put yourself in another person's position and look from another perspective. This is something that I as a leader had to do in order to reach my full potential. It also forced me to consider the other volunteers’ thoughts and ideas because each of us had our own unique interactions with the seniors. Everyone brought valuable information and ideas to the table, and as president, I wanted to make sure everyone felt that they had a voice and were kept motivated in their volunteer work. Leadership skills, especially empathy, are an extremely important aspect of everyday life as well as leadership, and GlamourGals has certainly taught me this life lesson. I am forever grateful for the role that GlamourGals and the seniors have played in my development as a leader and a person.
