Leadership Portfolio

SHAYLA WHITT’S

Who am I?Hi! My name is Shayla Whitt and I

am a senior at Fraser High School. I am 18 years old and an active student involved in many

school activities. I have been employed at Karter Animal Hospital for 3 years. After

graduation, I plan on attending Wayne State University and

studying pre-med. After that, I will attend the Michigan State

University School of Osteopathic Medicine with hopes in becoming

a pediatric neurologist.

During my high school career, I have been

involved in various clubs and activities, including HOSA, Student Council, Fraser 4A’s, and NTHS.

Each of these has helped me to grow as a leader.

Being in clubs challenges you. You get to interact

with people you normally wouldn’t associate with. In each of these clubs I have held at least one

leadership position, whether it be becoming an officer or chairing an

event.

WHAT HAS PREPARED ME?

What has prepared me?I have been a member of HOSA for 3 years. I

am currently the Vice President of our chapter. Being involved in HOSA has been

the most influential on my leadership skills. Being VP, I am in charge of all the

committee work. I have to make sure that everyone is doing their job correctly and in

a timely manner. I am also the go-to person. If anyone has a question, they come and ask

me. I also have competed at the Regional and State level Leadership Conferences. I was able to bond with other members and

show them my abilities as a leader.

I have been a student council representative for all 4 years of

high school. I was the class secretary for 2 consecutive years,

as well as a co-chair. This has greatly prepared me as a leader. To teachers and students, being in StuCo makes me a leader in

the building. I get to plan events and help execute them. Being

involved in major decisions teaches me to think carefully and

consider the opinions of those around me. I also become a

better listener because I have to make my entire class happy with

my decisions.

WHAT HAS PREPARED ME?

My inspirations…I would have to say that the

most inspirational person I’ve had throughout high

school is Mrs. Van-I. As my HOSA advisor, she has

taught me quite a few things about being a good leader. She is the perfect example

of a leader. Running a group such as HOSA plus preparing

lesson plans has to be a lot of work. Seeing her juggle

all these responsibilities so well is definitely an great influence. Mrs. Van-I has

shown me just how easy it can be to lead, you just have

to have a little faith in yourself. She motivates me

and is one of the major reasons I am pursuing a

career in the medical field.

Of course, my mom has a key role in preparing me to be a

leader. She is compassionate, creative, and a hard-worker.

Growing up, she has never let me settle for anything less then my best. Sometimes I wish she

hadn’t been so tough on me, but now looking back I know it was

for all the right reasons. I wouldn’t be the person I am now

if it wasn’t for her. She isn't afraid to take chances and is very out-going. The lessons I

have learned from her has helped me be more confident in

my leadership abilities.

MY INSPIRATIONS…

What I see myself in…The leadership position I see myself in for the future is having my own practice as a Pediatrician or being the head Pediatric Neurologist in a leading hospital. I have no doubt in my mind that with my leadership abilities, and if I push myself, that I will be able to accomplish this career choice.

In order to further prepare myself as a leader, I will need to

keep staying involved in my college and

community. I want to join several clubs and

possibly a sorority in college. These will allow

me to become known around campus and push

me out of my comfort zone. You can’t grow as a

leader if you’re always doing what you’ve

always done. Taking risks is very important.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

My strengths…One of my greatest strengths is that I am a

hard-worker. I won’t stop until the job is done. I always give my 100% when I am

doing anything. I don’t give up easy. Teachers and friends will often give me

tasks to do for them because they know I will get it done quickly and with good quality. Being a hard-worker is very

important for the future. Medical school is a lot of work an you have to have the drive

in order to make it through.

My strengths…Another one of my strengths is that I am

compassionate. I truly do care about everyone around me, even those whose actions I don’t always agree with, In the

medical field, it is important to have compassion. Nowadays, too many doctors just care about their status and how much

money they make. I will be the doctor that asks you how your day was and

cheers you up when you're feeling down.

I would say my greatest weakness is

that I am too independent.

Sometimes independence is good,

but in moderation. I like to take things into my own hands. A lot

of the time I won’t let anyone help me. I am afraid that they will

mess something up or not do it the way I

want them to. While I love being around

friends and others, I like to be alone when

I work .

MY WEAKNESS…

Overcome…Becoming less independent and relying on

others will be a big change, but it is something I need to do. I can start by

letting others help out with some of the smaller things, ad then working up to

giving them a large task. I also will have to work groups rather than by myself. I can

begin this with college. Instead of studying alone, I can be in a study group so I van

get input and help from peers instead me always doing the work.

Another one of my weaknesses is that I am very, very, emotional. I often let my emotions

control myself and some decisions I make. I am

easily upset and will tear up at random moments. It’s really frustrating at times

because I can’t control when it will happen. This could be a problem in the

future because of my career choice.

MY WEAKNESS...

Overcome…When dealing with patients in the

future, I will have to put my emotions aside so I can give them the best possible healthcare. I can’t let my

personal feelings and opinions affect my diagnosis or the information I tell them. To do this, I will have to learn

to push some of my own feelings aside and focus on those around me.

Leader? Leader.This year my leadership skills have

grown tremendously. I was once a shy freshmen, and here I am today,

holding many leadership positions throughout the building. Thank you

for listening and watching my presentation. Being a leader is not the easiest thing in the world. However,

with a little work and dedication, anyone can become a leader.