In the summer before eleventh grade, I experienced multiple large moments in my life. I got my first job, passed my drivers test, participated in the Minnesota All-State Band, and attended the Scott Anderson Leadership Forum. All of these events were life-changing, but none altered my outlook on life as much as the Scott Anderson Leadership Forum, also known as SALF.
When the weeklong forum began, we were divided into eleven groups of 10, with each student representing a different school. My group, Group 11, was apprehensive at first. None of us knew each other, and so we were relatively quiet and awkward around each other until a boy spoke up and asked us about our interests and hobbies. After he broke the ice, we quickly found common interests and Group 11 began to bond.
The most profound experience of all was “Highs and Lows,” where every member shared a personal high and low point of their life. It seemed daunting to share one's most personal experiences with a group we had met only three days prior, but we were already so close that we felt comfortable with one another. Our high points included …show more content…
The boy who had first brought us all together and could always be counted on for his upbeat personality went first. He told how he had lost both of his parents at a young age and had had a difficult life up until the past year. We were all floored. The other stories were just as powerful- the quiet track star was terrified of losing her father to his battle with cancer and the cheerleading captain had suffered abuse at the hands of her then-boyfriend, yet they were all strong, happy people who were leaders in their schools. We all tearfully hugged one another and offered words of encouragement. When we were all composed, we went outside and learned that the ten other groups had finished their sharing after only twenty or thirty minutes- we took an hour and a half. Those 90 minutes have been some of the most emotional moments of my
When the weeklong forum began, we were divided into eleven groups of 10, with each student representing a different school. My group, Group 11, was apprehensive at first. None of us knew each other, and so we were relatively quiet and awkward around each other until a boy spoke up and asked us about our interests and hobbies. After he broke the ice, we quickly found common interests and Group 11 began to bond.
The most profound experience of all was “Highs and Lows,” where every member shared a personal high and low point of their life. It seemed daunting to share one's most personal experiences with a group we had met only three days prior, but we were already so close that we felt comfortable with one another. Our high points included …show more content…
The boy who had first brought us all together and could always be counted on for his upbeat personality went first. He told how he had lost both of his parents at a young age and had had a difficult life up until the past year. We were all floored. The other stories were just as powerful- the quiet track star was terrified of losing her father to his battle with cancer and the cheerleading captain had suffered abuse at the hands of her then-boyfriend, yet they were all strong, happy people who were leaders in their schools. We all tearfully hugged one another and offered words of encouragement. When we were all composed, we went outside and learned that the ten other groups had finished their sharing after only twenty or thirty minutes- we took an hour and a half. Those 90 minutes have been some of the most emotional moments of my