1. How have the workshops and discussions on leadership this week changed your understanding of what leadership means?

I now see leadership as more than just being the loudest person in the room or the hardest worker in the group. It is being the coordinator that brings everyone's strengths together in a cohesive and harmonious rather than conflicting manner; it is uplifting each person's talents in a way that is fulfilling and sufficiently challenging; and it is filling the gaps when necessary.

1. How might you imagine applying one model of leadership during your Laidlaw summer on campus—either within the Laidlaw cohort or beyond this community? While we often associate leadership and leaders with seniority, how might leadership be modeled among individuals who are among the youngest people on campus (i.e. you!)?

I think leadership is less about being the single leader of a group and more about embodying leadership qualities to foster both community building and achievement. Hence, how I apply a model of leadership will depend on the circumstance, but it will generally involve ensuring that everyone is able to participate in a manner that is fulfilling to them and productive to the group, and leading communication between individual members to resolve conflicts. Among the youngest people on campus, leadership might be modeled by stepping up and down as necessary — acknowledging where we might be able to learn from more senior members while still being confident and speaking up for ourselves and others. Just because one is the youngest does not mean they do not deserve the same respect or do not have meaningful contributions.