Summer Reflection Essay

I have been thinking about my reflection paper for quite some time. What did I really learn this summer? Have a grown? This year in BYUSA has been a completely different experience for me than last year. I often feel like an observer as I watch others learn and experience the same things that I did this past year, but I think that is what makes this year important for me. I am really going to be able to learn and grow as a leader this year as I help others to be successful.

I have decided to split this paper into two sections. First, I wanted to focus on some of the main lessons I have learned throughout the summer from other people. Secondly, I have organized those lessons into characteristics I have tried to develop more this summer.

The main lesson I have learned repeatedly this summer comes from Elder Oaks’ talk. He said, “The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming.” I need to work every day to become the leader I want to be. Elder Robbins reemphasized this when he said, “May your efforts to develop Christlike attributes be successful so that His image may be engraven in your countenance and His attributes manifest in your behavior. Then, when your children or others feel of your love and see your behavior, it will remind them of the Savior and draw them to Him.” The leader I want to be is one who causes others to be reminded of the Savior and draw them to Him.

Most of my learning in BYUSA comes directly from those I associate with on a regular basis. I decided one of the best ways to reflect this year would be to record some of the lessons I have learned form each individual. I am so grateful for each of them. My biggest hope is that I am able to make an impact on their lives as they have on mine.

· Brother Cox – We always need to make time for the individual because people are more important than programs and work.

· Brother Ward – It is so important to teach principles and allow people to then learn through action. I have learned so much knowing I can trust Brother Ward with anything and that I have his trust and support.

· Brother Klemme – Preparation is crucial. I was always impressed by his preparation for all of his lessons and for all crucial conversations with me, or others.

· Sister Gray – It is important to always stand for our values and expect the best. Almost always people will pull through when we set high standards for them. I also love that Tamara is willing to laugh!

· Sister Blomquist – Everyone comes from a different background, but that is what makes working with people so great. We are able to learn from the experiences of others.

· Sister Shewfelt – A quiet heart can sometimes inspire more than anything else. I need to be sure to listen as well as Val does.

· Ryan Greenburg – I’m not sure if I can put everything I have learned from Ryan in a sentence or two. J He has taught me that people are often striving to be their best. We should always assume the best, work hard, and communicate with open hearts.

· Brandon Hatch – I love it when Brandon speaks from his heart about spiritual things. He has increased my gratitude for sincere reverence.

· Samantha Crane – We should get to know the individuals we are serving and think about them often. That is how we can be inspired as to what they need.

· Phil Schwartz – We need to spend time with people outside of the workplace to increase trust. Phil wrote me the nicest card this past month. I know he is trying to recognize the good in everyone. It is inspiring.

· Kylie Cobb – There is so much power in joy and optimism. I have never seen Kylie sad or stressed. She always wears here trials with a smile. I think that is where she finds the greatest strength.

· Devin Singh – He is a great example of quiet strength. He never leads from a throne, but has taught me that it is important to lead with humility and love while working with the people we lead.

· Joshua Matson – We have something to learn from every individual because every individual has something to contribute.

· Christina Westover – She has taught me to have passion for service. She shows me every day in the office that she has sincere passion for her work because of her excitement and love for the individuals her programs will serve.

· Amber Kent – She has taught me that as leaders we need to offer constructive criticism. I need to be better at helping those I work with develop as leaders in the ways they want to develop.

· Jeffrey Whitlock – He has taught me the importance of having knowledge. I need to be willing to learn from everyone and everything so I can make a greater contribution to the world.

· Jake Evans – We can really help others to feel love for a vision by the way we communicate about it.

· Kelsey Page – If we have excitement everyday, the energy will be contagious and people will want to be around you.

· Abraham Kim – We need to be ourselves because that is the only true way to find success.

· Ashley Blair Alexander – I need to keep my priorities straight all the time. That is the only way I will be able to keep my life in balance. We seem to have this same struggle sometimes.

· Olivia Gallegos – I need to always be willing to be innovative with my ‘green’ hat on.

· Sarah Carrigan – Leaders need to earn respect. It isn’t just inherent.

· Mallory Brugger – People respect sweet, hard workers. I have so much love and respect for this girl because of her willingness to always do her best!

· Karen Kleinman – We need to always be looking for new ways to improve. I have been impressed by her willingness to seek them out.

· Andrew Grisson – Be happy and meet everyone! A smile, kind word, or other small act of service is bound to brighten everyone’s day.

· Shawn Crawley – Be inclusive! Shawn is always talking to a new person on the outside and looking to help people get involved.

· Miranda Steed – Don’t be afraid to show some personality. I am so grateful that whenever I talk to Miranda, I know I am getting the real Miranda.

· Haley Walker – It is ok to be vulnerable sometimes. I am so grateful for this girl and her consistent friendship. I know I will have her as my friend for life.

· Steven Fortney – We should work hard, keeping the right vision, and our efforts will not be missed. He is an amazing example of this.

· Jennifer Gordon – She has a certain light in her eyes all the time. It is so evident by the actions she takes that she has a sincere love for people. For that, I will always be grateful.

· Chelsea Chen – Chels has so much energy! She has shown me that it is important to have fun.

· Jessica Godfrey – It is always ok to blow your leader’s expectations out of the water.

· Eric Cecil – Sometimes an organization needs people that will always do things right and can always be trusted. Eric is that guy. He is great! Honestly, he has taught me the importance of consistency. I can trust him, and I know Phil can, to be consistent with his level of excellence.

· Rachel Smith – We should strive to be excellent in everything we do, because we can be excellent. Rachel’s internal drive is inspiring.

These individuals are why I am here. The cool thing about BYUSA is that each of these people are able to touch my life, and hundreds of other lives through their service here. I am so grateful for a school that recognizes the importance of education outside of the classroom.

I also decided to think through some of the specific leadership qualities I have tried to improve over the last few months. I have experienced a lot of growth, but I still have a ways to go!

· Communication – it is crucial to keep everyone on the same page. Sometimes I may feel like I am doing this, but I can never really be sure until I have followed up with all individuals. Ryan and I are going to start meeting with each of the coordinators once a month to make sure this is happening.

· Delegation – I need to delegate and then trust those I am leading to accomplish the work. The reality with delegating though is that some people are not quite ready for full delegation – it is all about situational leadership. I realized this summer that Brandon might need more coaching than I thought. I also learned that Josh will thrive as I allow him to take control of his responsibilities, but I need to be clear on my expectations first.

· Confidence – often people will look up to you even when you don’t feel you deserve it. I need to be sure to be confident that my actions are the best I can do so I can be assured that others in the office are following the best Brittanie.

· Knowledge – In order to be an effective leader for the people I am leading, I need to be an expert on the area I have been charged with. When I do not know all the answers, I need to be sure to say that I don’t know all the answer and work with the volunteer to find them. It isn’t bad to make a mistake, or not know something; a good leader is always willing to find out.

· Perspective – a good leader is able to see the big picture and help those he or she leads to slowly see more as they are prepared for it. I realized how grateful I am for the perspective that I have as a divine-centered leader. That is what gives me the strength to be who I want to be.

· Integrity – I need be able to stand for what I know is right all the time. The part that I struggle with most is my ability to communicate how I really feel in a situation of conflict without letting my emotions control my actions. Sometimes I chicken out and don’t allow myself to express my true feelings. A part of integrity is being willing to be vulnerable.

· Adaptability – I recognized over and over again this summer that things were not always going to go as I planned, but if I am able to adapt to my situations, I can still be an effective leader. One way that I learned this lesson was in seeing the different submissions that my EDs gave me for the program descriptions. It was my job to accept them at the level they were at and help them to improve from where they are. Everyone we lead will begin at a different level. Hopefully we will all end this next year having become better leaders.

· Decision-making – I have realized with both of my teams that it is sometimes necessary to have a leader that will just make a choice. I am grateful that I am decisive and able to do so. In my SAC team, we could debate for hours, but if I was never willing to make a final decision, I don’t know if anything would actually happen. This has become effective because of the trust we all have in each other.

These characteristics and skills are all things I have learned with more emphasis this summer and hope to continue working on throughout this next year.

Spring Reflection Essay

Service is really about the individuals. This lesson has hit home repeatedly over the past few months. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve in BYUSA so I can come to better understand myself and how I can impact those around me. More than anything, I have come to better understand that BYUSA is about serving the students here at BYU, but it is also about preparing leaders to serve later in their lives. This experience has really refined me and the person that I am so that I am more able to go forth to serve. I guess I am here this year to help others to learn how to be better leaders. Every individual here at BYU has something to offer, here at school, and in society. The Savior was perfect at this. He always left people better than he found them. I want to be able to better follow his example. Throughout my reflection, I want to focus on the major lessons this term has taught me and provide some evidence of experience.

Perspective is everything.

It has been really hard for me to be a member of the presidency for a second round, working under a president who does lack the experience that I have. I do have full confidence in Ryan’s ability to be a leader, but sometimes I have a hard time watching him make the same mistakes I learned this past year. I have said many prayers in my office during the times of frustration and trials. Honestly, at times I have felt that I am not able to be my best self when I am around Ryan. That really worries me. What I have learned this term from Ryan is that we need to remember that perspective is everything. I can make it through anything by remembering who I am and what I stand for. I need to be a leader of integrity. When we are among the people in the office, Ryan and I need to be completely unified. When I am in a closed room with him, those are the times that I need to be honest and upfront so as to create the unity that we will need to live by. As I have taken the council of my mom and Brother Ward, I have realized that often working with other people is all about how we communicate with them so we can have the same perspective about a situation.

Moving forward, I want to be a leader who never says anything bad about anyone around me. I want to have the eternal perspective about the individuals we will encounter and have the opportunity to serve. I need to remember the power that each person has to impact BYU for good and serve in the kingdom. My perspective will be everything as I go throughout this year of service. This is how I will be able to learn and grow from this experience.

Charity is the greatest quality I could have as a leader.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about my past leaders and the impact they have made on my life. I think the greatest quality they have shown me is that of love. They have been willing to accept me for who I am and help me to become a better person. I want to be known as a kind leader. I want to lead by example and be a leader people can look up to. I often think back on the leadership of Elise May and the kindness she showed those around her. She was able to meet an individual and help them to feel invaluable right away. I want to develop this skill over the next year. In reflecting on many of the experiences I have had this term, being more loving could have helped me to be more successful. If I had been able to love Julie for the girl that she was, I probably would have handled myself better when things went poorly. If I were more loving toward Ryan, I would have been a better support to him as he learned about the leader he wanted to become. If I would have been a better friend to Brandon, he may have come to understand this organization for what it is at a faster speed. Love has the power to change hearts and an immense power to lead people if applied in the right way. As I go throughout this next year, I want to be the leader that those around me need. I want to make people feel like they can do great things. I want to be the friend others can count on. Mostly, I want others to think of me as a sweet leader. No longer will I pride myself on my ability to by bold as a leader, but rather I will strive to help others improve with my love.

Where is my heart?

I would have never been able to participate in this experience if it weren’t for my motive to serve people. I want to help other individuals grow as leaders and become better tools for our Father in the kingdom. I know that I have the right motive in BYUSA, but I think I need to remember it throughout the next year. My motive will keep me going, but it also has the power to help me be better at my other goals. To be able to serve with the right motive, I need to be sure to keep a steady routine this next year. When I am focusing on a good schedule, I am more likely to have good scripture study and do the other things that I think is important. I will also want to keep myself healthy, with proper sleeping habits. If I am able to get enough sleep, I will be a better leader. Motive is at the roots of all of my actions. I need to have a weekly check with myself to ensure that my motive is staying pure.

I am so grateful for this term and for the challenges we have had and the lessons I have learned. Everything truly happens for a reason. As Tommy mentioned in our class, “Love is a lifestyle.” I want to make love my lifestyle. This is the only way I will be able to increase my power as a leader.

Honor - Val Shewfelt

What does honor mean to me?

To me, living with honor means that I am a person who lives with integrity and respect. It isn't hard to make a good decision once, but it is hard to make many good decisions over and over again. If I am able to have consistent integrity, I will be that much closer to living a life of honor. The Savior was the perfect example of this. He loved everyone, all the time. All of his decisions to do good were consistently made. I want to be consistent in my actions of integrity. By doing so, I will be more honorable. I love what Faust said of honor, "But if you live so as to know the Lord’s will, you will find peace in your soul and great happiness. You will be among those who will enjoy 'the highest place of honor in human life.'" I hope to live worthy to be considered honorable after this life.

My cookie experience...

I gave my cookie to my roommate Noelle and her boyfriend Andrew. It was actually a great experience. I explained that the honor code is about a lot more than the rules. The honor code is really about honorable living and how well we are able to live the principles of the code in our daily lives. We had a great discussion about living at a higher standard. That is what sets us apart as Latter-Day Saints. We are expected to hold ourselves at a higher standard and by so doing we become better disciples of Christ.

Branding - Tamara Gray

What does the BYUSA brand really mean to me?

To me the BYUSA brand is all about fun, people, service, laughter, busy lives, and friendship. When I see the BYUSA logo, I have feelings of love for the people up there. I guess that's what it's all about for me.

What can I do to take ownership of the brand in my area?

I think I need to be sure that everyone in my area is willing to live the BYUSA vision. That is the only way we will be able to take ownership for the BYUSA brand. By simply loving people when we first meet them, by being organized in our events and executing them well, and by being a friend to everyone. I need to be willing to plan our events with the BYUSA vision in mind. That is what we want to be the brand.

How will I explain the brand to others?

I will explain the brand to others by using the BYUSA vision. I normally focus on my favorite parts, or the key words. When people have more questions about BYUSA, I normally go into a description of the 6 areas of BYUSA. I will focus on the ones that the individual would be most interested in. I will explain the brand after first getting to know an individual, then explain the parts that are pertinent to them.

Working with Volunteers - Brother Cox

What advantages are there in working with volunteers?

There are many advantages to working with volunteers. In general volunteers are excited, passionate, and whole-hearted. Most of all, I love the pure motive that volunteers have. In general, a volunteer is much more willing to serve because they believe in the cause they are working toward. This is why I love BYUSA so much. I almost always encounter volunteers who are excited about the prospect of serving in BYUSA because it is fun, enjoyable, and even more so, the BYUSA vision inspires those who serve with us.

What disadvantages are there in working with volunteers?

Volunteers sometimes lack commitment, expertise, and dependability. These problems only seem to exist when the volunteer does not have the proper motive.

How will you select and place volunteers?

I plan to select and place volunteers by first establishing detailed job descriptions so the volunteer will know exactly what they are getting themselves into. I will then seek out volunteers and get them set up with certain volunteer opportunities that match their interests and passions. Upon finding the perfect match, we will begin!

How will you train volunteers?

I plan to train my volunteers on a schedule. First, I will focus on the vision. By understanding the vision, we will be able to encourage that students be excited about service and the opportunities that BYUSA gives them to bless lives. I will then work to unify my team. After finishing those two duties, I will strive to teach the principles behind what we do in our area.

How will we reward and retain volunteers?

I really like rewarding volunteers with sincere thanks. I am a note-writing girl. I like to write notes and let individual's know of my love for them that way. I want to be better this year at finding out what I can do to recognize my team in the ways that they most like to be appreciated. I'm not sure what those ways are, but I am soon to find out. :)

Situational Leadership - Adrian Klemme

Identify your own unique capabilities (as was explained in class) that will help you to identify what specific leadership style to use when in different situations. Explain how those inherent capabilities will benefit you and your leadership responsibilities for this upcoming year of service.

My unique capabilities? Good question... I think I am able to accurately perceive what the needs of others are. I am able to judge their responses to my behavior and make an appropriate decision from there. This has really helped me to see what I can do for others. Since I am grounded in my own life, I am not swayed as much by the actions of others and I am able to expect certain principles. As a leader, I will need to remember to be forgiving when I need to be forgiving, but stern when life calls for stern actions.

Identify in your roles some of the Directive Behaviors and Selective Behaviors you will implement as you work with your ED teams. Categorize them into specific situations where you will use these behaviors and provide a brief explanation about how and why each behavior will be used in that capacity (example: Selective Behavior – Listening, Stewardship Meetings, to let my ED know that I value their feedback and input on matters relating to ……). You can do this in a list or matrix format.

Directive Behavior - Authoritative - Conducting Meetings - I will choose the format of our area meetings and expect that the executive directors follow my outlined structure. That way, our meetings will always be productive and they will stay consistent in their content as a meeting.

Directive Behavior - Driven - Delegation - I am determined about my ambitions and where I want to see them go, so I will ensure that when the actions of my EDs aren't moving in the right direction, I will help them to change.

Selective Behavior - Motivation - Middle of Fall - I feel the like the middle of fall is going to be the next time that I will really need to be the motivating leader on our team to help them be excited about what they are doing.

Selective Behavior - Listening - stewardships - I will listen to my EDs during stewardships because I really do want to know how they are feeling about life and what they are striving to accomplish.

Selective Behavior - Delegating - programs - I will trust my executive directors with the day to day decisions on their programs because that is how they will be able to grow as leaders.

Take a current assessment of the development level of your incoming ED team and identify which leadership style they will initially require from you when they begin in a few weeks. Provide a brief explanation of specific things you will do to help them know you are "relating" to and understanding their development level.

Josh - I don't know if this is possible, but I feel like Josh is currently in the Directing area, but somewhat in the delegating area. Josh has a very high level of commitment, but his competency is very high in somethings and low in other things. I am going to have to work to ensure that he is kept in check to know that he is not always right. Maybe humble him a little bit. :) I know there will be times that I will need to let him go with his ideas, but other times that I will need to ensure that he is properly following the vision.

Christina - I would trust this girl with my life. She is extremely competent and committed! I am so excited to see her as a part of my area. I would expect her to be similar to Josh in her levels of leadership needs. She is very competent in some programs, but less so in some other programs. I will need to be sure to let Christina know that I do love and appreciate her. She will probably need some coaching to feel like she is making a significant impact on SAC.

Amber - Amber needs a friend. I would say that she is probably in the same stages as the others as well, but my actions will probably be a little different. My hope is that I can be her support in life, but remember that I need to be the leader who can hold her accountable as an ED. The cool thing with Amber is that we have a certain level of trust already, so I am just going to let her fly and remember to keep her guided toward the group vision.

Jeff - He is probably the least competent coming into this position. I want to help Jeff to understand that he can make a significant impact on BYUSA by being diligent with his learning curve. I need to be sure to educate him on the proper ways to carry out his programs, and keep his motivation high!

Team - Logan Mann

Where in the cycle do you feel the presidency currently is?

Honestly, this kind of feels like a hard question. Since our presidency has been somewhat dysfunctional lately with so many people gone, it is kind of hard to put a title on our presidency as a whole. I guess with that analysis, I would say our presidency is currently somewhere in the storming ... or maybe that's not giving us enough credit. As a whole, that is where we are, but as the current presidency in the office, we belong more in the norming stage. I think that is fairly normal for the time of year we are at. We are starting to get our bearings and see where we are going forward to. I am so thankful for the opportunities this office can give us to progress as a group!

How can you help make the presidency perform?

Honestly, I think I need to begin by being more charitable. I need to be more willing to accept the presidency members for who they are and understand that I need to be a situational leader. Sometimes, I get too caught up in the rules of the game, and forget that there are people on our team. I could learn a lot from remembering Brother Cox's example in my life.

I also need to be better at following up with the presidency members on their areas and how they are individually progressing. If I can accomplish this, I will help to increase my trust in them as I see their competence. I will also be able to help them to trust me as their leader.

I need to be a friend. I need to have fun and laugh with them. If I can accomplish these things, we will have a better relationship base and be able to remember the joy of the 'norming' stage.

I want to hold people accountable, with love. I really need to focus on holding them accountable, but having increased love afterward, as the scripture teaches.

Describe your plan to get you area team to performing stage.

I am so excited for my area to get here!! Seriously, my E.D.s are amazing and I am excited to see their contagious passion and where it is going to lead them. I want to first help them through the forming stage on adventure experience. I have a number of getting to know you activities that I want to help them out with. I then want to study a book together during summer term. I'm not sure yet what that book is going to be, but I know it is going to be great. :) By establishing a vision upfront together, I think we can be prepared to effectively make it through the storming stage. Throughout summer term, I will be training them on the 'norms' of SAC and how I expect things to go. Hopefully, this preparation will effectively get us to the performing stage.

Conflict Resolution - Nathan Ward

Describe an experience with conflict. How did you resolve this conflict?

I feel like I encounter conflict all the time. I guess it is the resolution of this conflict that is so important. While at ULA, I encountered a pretty significant conflict with one of the VPs on our Presidency. I felt that it was my role to solve this problem and help them to change their behavior so it would be better in line with our presidency's goals. So, I addressed the problem right then. I decided to talk to the person and honestly, it did not go over well. I am the kind of person that likes someone to just come out and confront conflict right away, but apparently this was not the right response in this instance...

Why is it important to recognize conflict and how can healthy conflict improve your organization?

It is crucial for us to recognize conflict right away. The more promptly I can recognize conflict, the better I will be able to stop a problem when it come up. I have realized over the years how important it is to have healthy conflict to improve our organization. Healthy conflict makes a world of difference. I am so grateful for the conflict that helped my teams in the past grow together and come to understand one another better. Conflict seems to be one of the major instruments in encouraging trust. When a team is full of trust, there seems to be more healthy conflict. When a team is lacking in trust, the conflict isn't quite as healthy. I reflect often on my Clubs team from last year. It was so rough sometimes, but when we finally got to a certain level of trust, the conflict with so much easier to handle. For that, I am very grateful!

BYUSA Finances - Angela Blomquist

Why are financial resources sacred and important to me?

The financial resources are sacred to me because they are the means by which we are able to serve students. Whenever contemplating a major decision about the money we are going to allocate to a certain program, it is essential that we do the proper research to find out what we can accomplish with the funding that we have and how many students we can serve that way. The more effectively we are able to use our resources, the better off we will be. I need to be sure to instruct my executive directors on the proper use of money in BYUSA and how important it is to remember that this is a sacred task we are charged with. I am so grateful that we are blessed to have the resources we need in this office. Now we just need to allocate them well and serve many students and help them to all have a significant leadership experience!

Divine-Centered Leadership - Tommy Montoya

Explore you real motives and how they will impact your service.

I feel like I am often contemplating my real motive and how it fits into the big picture. I am motivated by my desire to serve. I have benefited so much by others and their effort to give, so I need to give back. I realized the other day how blessed I really am. I know I am a capable individual and I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. Because of my talents, I think I am held to a higher standard and expectation that I will use them for good. I am motivated because I want to be more like my Savior, Jesus Christ. Service is one of the best ways I know how to do that. I am motivated by the people we see come through the doors of the BYUSA office. I want to help improve lives and better the people here in BYUSA.

After reading "You are my Hands," relate it's principles to leadership in your area.

One of my favorite lines from this talk was where Elder Uchtdorf said, "True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long—we can write notes or poems that proclaim it, sing songs that praise it, and preach sermons that encourage it—but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”" I feel like I am really good at being a leader who speaks love, but I don't feel like I am very good at living love towards everyone. Some people yes, but 'everyone' is a hard group to conquer. I really want to focus on my actions this year and be better at openly loving those around me. Maybe it's just a tough day, but I need to be the Savior's hands way better. That is the only way I will be able to truly love those around me and give them what they need. My Savior was a perfect leader because he was able to recognize the needs of individuals and be a leader full of charity to all of them. Why is it that I struggle to show charity toward everyone around me? I want to manifest my love in actions way better than I have been.

Most of all, I think I struggle to act in this way with Ryan and having him as my leader. I want to be better at looking toward him and treating him with love. Mostly, I need to gain more trust in him as my leaders, so we can work together as the Savior's hands. This is my goal and my resolve. I will improve my relationship with Ryan so I can be on the same page as him as his friend and as his follower. I know I will become stronger as I seek to love those around me.

Create a "To-Be" list for you year in office.

I loved creating this "To-Be" list. Sam and I are actually meeting to create a weekly goal toward one of our "To-Be" list items. We can do it!!

I want to become... prayerful
diligent
forgiving
happy
charitable
friendly
confident
fun
adventurous
dedicated
driven
founded in faith
make people feel invaluable
organized
timely
good sister
good leader
disciple of Christ
missionary

RACE - Logan Mann

What did I learn today?

I feel like I have often learned about the RACE model, so today I want to just reflect on the new things I have learned. I loved the emphasis that Logan placed on Mosiah 4:27, "All things are done in order." It gives me so much comfort to think that our Heavenly Father has a plan to help us accomplish things. In the church, all things are done in order. We are baptized before we are sealed. Everything has a proper order. I need to remember this principle in BYUSA as well. Sometimes it can be so overwhelming to look at a task to be done and wonder how I will possibly accomplish it. I am so grateful for the reminder that we just have to take one bite at a time.

I want to try to remember this concept when it comes to people as well. We should never jump into a situation and assume that we will know what to do and how to react to those around us without doing the research first. When we know where people are coming from, we will be able help them to become their best selves. I am so grateful for the people that have taken the time to get to know me and help me to grow. I know this was kind of an interesting take on the RACE technique, and I probably won't be analyzing people exactly like this anytime soon, but somehow, I think it still applies. Isaac Newton said, "The reason I could see further is because I stood on the shoulder of giants." I am grateful for the giants I been able to use over the years. BYUSA is full of them!

Reflection Paper

I can’t even believe how fast this year flew by. After three years working in Clubs, I am moving on to something new. I have been reflecting a lot lately on my past in this office and how I came to be where I am today. Honestly, this experience has been a huge blessing in my life! After my freshman year, I thought that was the largest changing year of my life. I thought the same thing after my sophomore year. Now, I know that this year was the most impactful year in my life in terms of growth and progression. Hopefully, every year in my life can be full of growth like this year and end with and increased love of life. I am so grateful for the individuals that have helped me so far in this journey and I am so excited to see where life takes me! Throughout this paper, I am going to reflect on the many lessons I have learned and apply them to how I can “go forth and serve” in my employment, church, community, and home.

I would not be here at this time if it weren’t for the people who have believed in me and my potential. It’s amazing that there have been people in my past who were able to look at me and believe that I could be more than I currently was. I don’t know if I can do that yet, but I have been trying to. It is the regular expectations of others that have encouraged me along the way and helped me to see the significance of where I am going. I guess this is the largest lesson I have learned this year. Life is all about the relationships and people in our lives. The Savior has admonished, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” The power of this lesson has been evident in the experiences I have had with those around me. Leadership with love as our motive and people as our focus will lead to success.

· Employment: I want to apply this lesson to my future employment in the way I communicate with those around me. This year, I was able to get to know Vice President Scharman pretty well. She is one of the greatest examples of love in the workplace that I have ever seen. Dean Heperi shared an experience with us that really impressed me. He made the mistake of calling someone a liar, because they were, during a meeting. VP Scharman chose to wait until the meeting had concluded and use the opportunity to teach Dean Heperi that we don’t communicate in that way towards people, especially not in public settings. I want to be able to emulate VP Scharman’s love in my future workplace as I communicate with those around me. There is no need for anyone to every feel inferior because that is not how Jesus Christ led. He led with love for everyone around him.

· Church: It seems as though it would be easy to serve the people around you with love in a church setting, but it isn’t always easy. My ward this year hasn’t been very welcoming as a whole, but I have been impressed by the caliber of individuals there. I could have been better at serving with love this year in my ward. One experience in particular helped me to realize how I can go forth to serve at church in the future. I was able to attend my friend Karielle’s grandma’s ward a few weeks ago. A young, married man was teaching the Sunday school class. It was obvious that he was educated and was probably more capable of serving than a lot of the ward members in attendance. As a new member in the ward, he was able to call each member by name and validate their comments. He was humble and understood that the Spirit can only be present in a room when we are acting out of love. I need to remember that for me to be inspired as I serve in the gospel, I will need to look at each individual with their divine nature in mind.

· Community: Being able to sacrifice the time to serve in the community is all about love and other people. This past weekend, I was able to attend a concert for a member in my ward. She was so happy to see so many at her show supporting her. I am so grateful to have opportunities to serve that have helped me to gain that ‘addiction’ because now I can never stop. In the future, I would love to spend time volunteering for a non-profit organization in my community; hopefully it will have an emphasis on heath.

· Home: Being able to go forth to serve in the home is contingent on the love that a family has for each other and priority that they give to their family relationships. This year, Charne has taught me the importance of making family a priority. She doesn’t come from the easiest family environment, but I have never heard Charné complain about her family and the struggles that exist there. I want to be a mother who is always willing to recognize the potential in my children. I also want to serve by always working to have a better relationship with my husband. While working with my executive directors this year, I have noticed that while working on our relationship, we seemed to be going strong. It was only during the times that I didn’t put forth adequate effort that our relationships seemed to fall. Hopefully, I can be prepared to go forth to serve in the home!

This year, I have learned over and over the power that balance can play in our lives. If we are balanced, we will be happier, more able to serve, and more prepared to encounter conflict. In Ecclesiastes 3, it says, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” I know this scripture is long, but I have been thinking about it for a while now. There is a time for all things in this life. I need to be willing to accept that I can’t do everything, but everything I do I can do extremely well. This is why balance is so important. Without balance in my life, I will not be able to do anything extremely well. I would probably burn out! I don’t want to burn out from life. I want to be balanced so I can do everything I want to do. I need to keep balance in my life if I am going to be able to go forth to serve.

· Employment: In order to apply this lesson to keep balance, I need to be willing to say no. Sometimes keeping balance can be hard for me because I want to please people. In order to go forth to serve in the workplace, I will need to have a good attitude and that requires balance. I learned this lesson after elections of this year. I was being pulled towards my new role and I was still trying to fulfill my current role as Clubs VP. It got to a point where I was extremely overwhelmed and had to do something about it. I communicated my feelings to Brother Ward, as well as Ryan about how I couldn’t do everything and I needed their support to do my current job well and new job as I found time. This exercise of communication was changing for me because I was able to better understand the power that I can have in balancing my own life. No one can tell me to act a certain way. I need to remember that sometimes it is appropriate to say no and communicate why.

· Church: I need to be able to put my God first all the time, but to feel good about that I will need to keep balance. Recently, a member of my bishopric called me to see what my responsibilities were in the office. He was curious to know about my time commitments to work, BYUSA, and school this summer. At the end of his phone call, Brother Smith asked if I would be able to serve in a calling this summer. Did my schedule allow it? That phone call was influential for me. I am responsible to make my leaders in the church aware of my situation, so that if a call is extended they are able to receive the best inspiration. I need to not be afraid to communicate what I am doing with my life. Again, I can be an agent for my own balance.

· Community: I am addicted to service, so I am sure I am going to be serving in my community for my entire life in some way, but I will just need to make sure that as time moves along, I am keeping my priorities straight. If I want to be serving in my community, maybe I need to do it with my family. Community service will never take precedence over church or family. Since that decision is made, I will be able to make decisions better in the future.

· Home: I really want to encourage my family to remain balanced by having all of us place family as our number one priority. The home is an essential unit, so my attitude needs to reflect that. My mom has taught me the importance of this principle over and over in her life. She is often making sacrifices for the sake of members of our team. I need to be sure to understand this principle as well in my life. I do not want to completely eliminate ‘me’ time in the future. My mom has been really good at running throughout my life. That has become her release. As I go forward, I want to have a release like running in my life as well.

This reflection paper isn’t even doing justice to the lessons I have learned this year in BYUSA. I am so grateful for the friends I have made and the lessons I have learned. I feel a little more prepared to ‘go forth to serve’ after having experienced this year. I’m not really sure where I would be without BYUSA and the chance I have had to learn and grow as a leader. One of my favorite quotes from the year is by Elder Holland, “Don’t give up when the pressure mounts. Face your doubts. Master your fears. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence.’ Stay the course and SEE THE BEAUTY OF LIFE UNFOLD FOR YOU.” I really believe this. Life is amazing! I am just happy to be living it.