Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time (350 words).

Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time (350 words).

Another Saturday morning, another Chinese class. Only, I would not spend this week's class learning about the lessons of Confucious or acquiring new vocabulary. My school would be competing in the annual winter competition hosted by the Northwestern Association of Chinese Language Schools, and there was much to do. I had stayed up the night before to commit the poem we would be performing to heart, and my classmates and I were now hard at work preparing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the younger students swarming around my teacher, Ms. Li. They were waving their binders and bombarding her with questions. Seeing the chaos, I gathered and arranged them in a straight line. The first boy in the sequence, Alex, complained he was too hungry to practice. Quickly, I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a box of crackers for him to snack on. Upon receiving the food, he smiled, calmed down, and returned to learning his lines. Moving on to the second student in the line, I met Serena, who asked for help memorizing two lines in the passage and asked me to read them since she did not recognize some characters. For the next few minutes, Serena repeated after me until she could confidently recite the phrases without help. I am grateful for the 12 years I spent participating in competitions through my Chinese school. As one of the oldest members, I facilitated teamwork and open conversation between the other students. Effective communication came in handy when selecting a poem, as my team needed to compromise on our ideas. Since we often practiced long hours in stuffy rooms, we needed encouragement to keep going. I kept everyone focused on how proud they would feel if their hard work paid off. I also helped the teachers teach the younger students, who struggled with memorization. This experience helped me develop essential teamwork and communication skills. Through supporting others in growing their performance and language abilities, I have learned how to ensure that everyone feels heard and valued.