It's Me Again

Where to begin. So by now, most of you know a bit about me. I am pretty typical for an engineering major. I've always been inclined in math, physics, and other sciences. I enjoy hands on repair and try to do things myself first before ever asking for help. In junior high school, I was pretty quiet and awkward. I think a lot of that is still because I was still getting used to living in Ohio. I had lived in Arkansas until I was 8, so when I moved to Bowling Green, Ohio, I was a little shy and embarrassed about my accent. Then I slowly started meeting people and becoming more open and outgoing. Having two older siblings who were always crazy and outgoing definitely helped too. Then there was the awkward junior high phase where everybody is awkward. I loved sports at the time and buried myself into soccer and baseball.

High school came around and I would say this was finally the time I stopped worrying too much about what other people thought of me. I learned to just be myself and let other people live with that. I started to feel a little cocky. I think that is because I was constantly performing in front of rooms full of people with my band and in orchestra and always starting on our soccer team. I started to care a little more about my grades too, although I definitely could have done better. Right before junior year, on the first day of pre-season soccer conditioning, I cut past somebody with the ball and when I did, my knee collapsed. I was sure that I was being a wimp and needed to just suck it up, but my dad wouldn't let me play in the soccer tournament that weekend and I had my knee checked out instead. Unfortunately, it turned out I had torn my ACL entirely. I actually ended up doing this two more times, each a year apart. This was an incredibly humbling experience for me. I was heart broken at first. I missed my last two years of the sport I loved most. I definitely could have gone on to play at a smaller school if I hadn't been injured, but I realized during this time that music was a big passion for me and that I was much more interested in engineering than I was in playing soccer. In a sense, I am almost glad for what happened. It led me here instead of a small school where I would've played soccer. I learned that nothing in life comes easy. And I learned that I am always going to have to work hard to recover from any mistakes and to avoid making them again.

Leadership Feedback

I asked one of my coworkers to be as brutally honest as they could about my leadership, including both the good and the bad. I am really glad that they didn't hold anything back and told me everything they thought about my style. I have always been a fan of criticism, as long as it can be productive. I am used to receiving criticism, especially because of my experiences playing instruments. My mother is an amazing cellist and would offer criticism of my playing when I was younger. It used to bother me and make me angry, but then I realized that her intentions were only to help make me better.

My coworker said that they really admire my work ethic. They said they enjoy when they have a shift with me because it just means their job is easier and they don't have to pick up as much slack as with others. They commented on how they appreciate that I readily assume responsibility and that they like that I am always willing to lend a helping hand. One of the things they said is very helpful is that I make sure I understand what I am doing so that I can be as efficient as possible.

Not all of the criticism was positive, however, but it was still constructive. The biggest thing they said I could use some work on is making sure I account for how my decisions affect everybody around me. They didn't mean that I hurt others, but rather that I tend to assume my plan of action is the best one without consulting others to be sure that there isn't a better idea available. They also said that I can tend to seem like I'm not genuine when talking to my peers, which I understand.

Overall, I really appreciate the feedback I was given. Even though it may not have been exactly what I wanted to hear, I am glad that they were able to be completely honest with me and allow me an opportunity to grow.