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Connor Siegel’s Personal Development Leadership Portfolio

“And we’ll dance, dance in your freedom”

COMPONENT I PERSONAL PURPOSE

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to

change the world.

-- Harriet Tubman

The Transparent Connor Siegel !

What have you always loved? ! People. As far back as I can remember my passion has always been people-oriented. As a little elementary school student I remember I would always personally go up to my teachers, custodians, and peers and simply ask them about their day with a sense of compassion. There is nothing more enjoyable for me than to sit outside and simply watch people as they stroll by me. Every single person on this Earth has a story, a mission, a purpose, a heart, something that they dream about and I have always felt led to love people through their pains and struggles, celebrate them through their triumphs and successes, and simply to encourage them toward their dreams. The happiest moments in my life revolve around times when people who I can love and pour into surround me and when usually that love is reciprocated. Some of my fondest memories of my short lifetime include gathering around a bonfire and simply sharing what is going on with our lives. People need people all people need people. It is my mission and goal in life to be that person that someone needs. !!!!!!!!!!!!!

What have you always known about who you are, even before knew anything? !

! One thing I have always known to be true about myself is that I would rather inconvenience myself or be in a compromising or hurtful situation than to ever place someone else in a threatening situation. My heart yearns to have people feel loved and cared about because I simply know how important it is to me. Something that someone told me was that the people with the biggest hearts are destined for heartbreak. We care more, we put more effort in, and at the end of the day, it’s not usually reciprocated. However it is what makes us the happiest so we keep making other people happy because it’s how we find our own. Something that correlates to this is that I have always had extreme anxiety when it comes to my relationships. I am someone who is very intentional with friendships and sometimes doubt my place and level of intimacy with my friends. I often struggle with the thought that I love people more than they love me, but I realized that is just a lie that Satan tells me in order to steal my joy. Thankfully, God has placed the best friends I could have possibly asked for to show me patience and never ending love to help support me and grow through these anxieties. !!!!!!

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What has always felt true to you? ! My faith. I live my life with a curious perspective and spend constant hours questioning relationships, jobs, and people’s intentions, anything that can truly be questioned. However, one thing that I have always been very sure about is my faith in Jesus Christ. I remember from an early age I always grew up in church. Unlike most kids, when their parents dragged them to church, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and honestly just liked learning what following Jesus meant. Throughout my high school years I was always the kid who was very bold in my faith. I strived to proclaim my faith and have my actions follow up my words so that they would carry more weight. I became this kid who had this overwhelming sense of pressure to perform as the good Christian kid and not live up to the gigantic deterrent from Christianity that we all know as hypocrisy. I became so consumed with the actions of being a good Christian that I forgot the truthfulness of my faith which is that I have a savior that is full of grace, mercy, forgiveness. I ran with that truthfulness throughout middle school and high school when I suffered from severe depression and suicidal thoughts that overwhelmed my faith and me honestly carried me through that and delivered me to hopefulness and true joy that hasn’t seen an ounce of darkness since. Now as I walk in my faith I strive to be more focused on the transformation of my heart and not my actions. I believe wholeheartedly that if the heart changes then the actions will follow pursuit. I also believe that Jesus is more focused upon our hearts and our one on one relationship with Him versus our attempts to “be a Christian”. No matter the age, circumstance, friendship, trouble or victory, my faith always remains my unchanging solid rock that I can forever cling onto. My chains to perfection are set free and I can live my life in the hope that my imperfections are full of beauty because I have grace and forgiveness and that will forever ring truth in my life.

What are some moments or experiences in your life when you have said to yourself, “This is the real me”?

! The first experience that comes to mind is my senior year when I was an emcee for my high school. There were 8 seniors selected to run the pep rallies, create spirit days, and inspire the entire school to come together as one family and one body to encourage the football team to victory. I remember clearly during the first pep rally I ran through the banner with my entire school screaming in anticipation for pep rally. We immediately progressed into our choreographed dance and the crowd erupted. I realized that how much I love being around people and encouraging them to reach a goal that they can succeed. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The second thought comes to mind is my role in UGA Miracle. The real me is an encourager and an edifier. I believe that everyone needs to be poured into and every leader needs someone that’s going to tell him or her the worth that he or she has. My role with UGA Miracle is community outreach and my goal is to unify our body or team into one family that loves and supports one another. When I have the opportunity to connect with people and hear their stories I feel right at home and my identity is secured in that.

What do you keep coming back to again and again? ! Friendship. Although my parents love me very well and care about me whole heartedly, I always tried to hide my problems or concerns from them because I didn’t want to add any more stress to their marriage. My friends became my rock and my family. I counseled them, they discipled me, they loved me well. They encouraged me daily and worked through my anxieties with me. Friendship has always been something that I always seek identity in. I know that my friendships are not my identity but sometimes I forget that and become so anxious about whether or not I am doing enough. I am learning now through the greatest friends I have ever had that I don’t need to do anything but rather just be myself because I am worth it, I am worth their time, I don’t need to do things for them in order to receive their love. I’m currently learning just to be me.

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What do you sense is the changeless authentic core within you? ! I have no doubt that the changeless authentic core within me is the fact that the Holy Spirit resides within me. I am freed from my chains because I have a heavenly father that looks down and smiles at me as He wraps me up in His arms. I am made new and perfect every day by His sweet graces. When I begin walking with the Holy Spirit and utilize the power that He has invested into us for the glory of His kingdom, then I will unleash my full potential and identity in Christ. My faith is my unshakable foundation that the rest of my motives and actions derive.

What would be really important to you, no matter how the world changes?

! Grace and mercy are two traits and values that will forever be engrained into my soul and personality. I think regardless if humanity becomes an every man for himself society then I could see myself constantly forgiving and showing people this overwhelming amount of mercy and grace for the actions that may have hurt me. I think all people mess up and hurt people they love intentionally or unintentionally, I just know that joy is a choice and every day I want to choose joy. I never want to hold anyone to a standard that I place on myself because when you place standards on people it limits their potential to succeed and also puts your own definition of success on that person which is unreasonably unfair. If the world changes, I think I will still pursue people and seek intimate relationships. Money will come and go, fame will fade, but the fact that people need people will never change.

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What do you value most? ! I think I value authenticity and intentionality the most. I am someone who will desperately put my heart onto the table. I l like to think that I am always an open book and any aspect of my life is an opportunity to help someone through what their tribulations might be. I think that every event whether negative or positive can be used to glorify God and therefore I am not ashamed of any past actions, thoughts, or behaviors because although my mistakes and successes have helped mold me into the man that I am today, I am not defined by my actions. Therefore I want to be authentic when I talk to people and not use a PR tactic by lying and say that I am perfect and have my life together. I make mistakes and I grow through those mistakes, which in turn shape me into a better man. I also value intentionality. I aspire to be intentional with every person I meet. I abhor surface level relationships and conversations. I just want people to be genuine and show their hearts to one another. We spend so much time having our guard up because we are scared to be vulnerable with one another. I spend hours dreaming what this world would look like if we all were vulnerable and just loved one another intentionally.

What things seem to always motivate you and give your life meaning? Community. I desire nothing more than to facilitate community and to be central and integral to that community. When I see a thriving community in which people feel inspired to make miracles and follow pursuit of who they are and their passions then I am truly motivated. When I see true joy and surprise over someone’s face when you show them how much you appreciate them and have true love for them then it motivates you to keep walking in that same joy and empathy every single day. I honestly just want more and more of Jesus in my life so that my love and actions will not be from my own core but rather an overflow of God’s love working through me. I am motivated by change and making an impact on someone’s heart. I want people to feel integral to a community that if they walked out of my life then they know that my life would be truly different. People need to feel needed and I want to make sure that every single person feels a part of a family that desperately needs their presence.

Core Values Faithfulness:!“The ragamuffin who sees his life as a voyage of discovery and runs the risk of failure has a better feel for faithfulness than the timid man who hides behind the law and never finds out who he is at all.” --Brennan Manning Be faithful in the little things they always say. This value remains so vital in my heart for so many reasons. When I look at the wide spectrum of people that I count on, respect, hold in such high regard, they all have faithfulness in common. I know that I can always count on each person to be there when I need it. I think I am we are called to live radical lives. We are so scared of the word “radical” because we associate it with the negative buzzwords of religious extremist. However it gives me chills to think about the potential that each person brings to the table. What if as a human race we all began living radically and passionately by relentlessly pursuing our dreams through the love and service of others. This world would have so much compassion. I want to be known as someone that friends and strangers can count on. If someone assigns me a task I never want him or her to think twice about whether or not it will be finished. I want to test

boundaries and walk in this joyous freedom that will bring me and other people to new heights because I chose to have faith of a mustard seed.

Vulnerability: “Vulnerability is the only authentic state. Being vulnerable means being open, for wounding, but also for pleasure. Being open to the wounds of life means also being open to the bounty and beauty. Don’t mask or deny your vulnerability: it is your greatest asset. Be vulnerable: quake and shake in your boots with it. The new goodness that is coming to you, in the form of people, situations, and things can only come to you when you are vulnerable, i.e. open.”!!!The corporate side of this world constantly demands toughness out of its prospective employees and interns. Public Relations demands that their practitioners be strong, courageous, and take the emotion out of most situations. However, I truly believe that the strongest of people are the ones that can effectively portray their emotions and place themselves in opportunities to be vulnerable. When we open our hearts to one another we allow things to move in close to us so that one-day we can transform who we are. If we are too scared to share our experiences then I believe we are disserving our peers by holding them back from our wisdom that we have gained through persevering through hardships. Half of the battle with vulnerability is just showing up and being willing to be seen. One piece of advice that I have always yielded to is to simply “do me” because every individual on this earth is so wrapped up in their insecurities that they certainly are not looking at mine. If we release ourselves from these insecurities and be vulnerable with one another than our power to change the world will drastically increase.

Joy We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. --Buddha “Count it all joy, my brothers,[a] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” -- James 1:2-4 “Do anything, but let it produce joy.” -- Walt Whitman “ Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God” Happiness and joy are two extremely different words that are often tragically interchanged. Happiness is fleeting and based upon materialistic, humanistic, and fleeting objects that may bring a smile but joy is one of the most beautiful values that a person can walk in. Joy is a choice every single morning that I challenge myself to make. Whenever I feel almost as if the world is crashing before my eyes and start having consuming anxious thoughts, I strive to take a deep breath, hold my thoughts captive, and choose joy. When I choose joy my heart transforms into this overwhelming spring of love that can only come from my relationship with the Lord. When I look for a friend or future spouse I look for someone who walks in such freedom and are fearless in the sense that they choose joy no matter the circumstances that are given to them. For we are to count it ALL as joy.

Humility:!“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s think of yourself less.”

-C.S. Lewis I am in love with the above quote. Humility has become this twisted word that people think that they need to have this low self-esteem or to belittle their accomplishments or hearts so that they can remain humble. I love that C.S Lewis inspires humanity to remind themselves that humility is simply thinking about yourself less and more about what you can do for others. As I have previously mentioned, I love just people watching and smiling at people because I see how much God loves each individual person. I see just as much value and worth for the woman who joyously cleans the bathroom as the CEO of a major corporation. Behind every job title is a beating heart that yearns to be compassionately loved and cared about. My favorite example of humility is my friend Molly who created these bracelets that simply states, “Kindness works, pass it on.” She is the most selfless person who spends all of her time and money doing for others… not for ulterior motives but rather because she loves seeing the true joy that people show when they realize how loved they are. I aspire to begin writing letters to random people and calling out the gold in them to show them that they have the utmost worth in this life and that they are truly appreciated.

Fearlessness:!!“Nothing is more terrifying than fearlessness.”

" Cornelia Funke Fearlessness isn’t the absence of fear but rather the willingness to trust just enough that you can achieve anything with a little drop of faith. I want to be fearless when pursuing my dreams. I never want to take the word no as a stop sign but instead as a yield with caution. Sometimes doors close in front of you but that is because God wants you to be fearless to kick down that door and seize the potential that is in store for you. I love boldness. It inspires me to watch a person boldly walk in their ideals and be fearless when communicating to people about what they are passionate about. What is there to fear in this life beside someone disagreeing with a thought that you have. Joy is a choice, fear is the absence of joy, and if we all choose joy then there is nothing to fear.

~ Themes~ A few themes surfaced surprisingly through these exercises. I always knew to be true of my love for people but never really considered my purpose to revolve around serving them. I always had a bent toward community and through this PDLP I realized that a common theme is building a cohesive community that allows people to thrive. I am still not sure where my bent will be directed, corporate offices, churches, or non-profit organizations, but I do know that this is something that has been placed on my heart for a reason and I am going to run after this dream. Another theme that surprised me immensely was the feeling that I was fearless. I know that I struggle through anxiety in regards to my relationships with people, which these anxieties are founded on nothing just an irrational fear that I have, however I have been told countless times in the past few months that my peers see me as fearless. The more I dove into this mindset the more I agreed with that I am extremely bold. I do not fear sharing my morals, ideals and thoughts on controversial issues, but also I do not have any anxiety about passionately pursuing my dreams. When I have a goal or a vision in front of me I jump headfirst and will not stop until I succeed. Once my heart is captivated for a cause, I will put all my efforts into making a difference. One quote that has always resonated with me is from Randy Pausch, “People are more important than things.” This concept has been lost in our world today in more noticeably in my parent’s generation. I do not think this is their fault but they followed after a model that their parents set as their parents lived through the Great Depression and therefore learned the value of hard work. My parent’s generation built on that success and pursued money as the greatest indicator of success. However I believe that my generation is transitioning into a people group that is focused on humanitarian efforts. Although money does make some aspects of life a little easier, I would never sacrifice a relationship with someone or a humanitarian effort for a materialistic possession.!!

Eulogy To be read by the future Mrs. Siegel, the love of my life

My husband was a man who inspired and loved extremely well. My husband was a heavenly man. He was family oriented where all of his decisions were not focused upon what is best for him but rather how can this decision help my family love Jesus more. He was my best friend, my soul mate, my partner, my friend, my provider, my encourager and my peace. He would leave me cute notes throughout the entirety of our marriage and always ask to see how he can more effectively love me. He was the most selfless and perfect husband I could have ever asked for. As a father, our kids loved him and look up to the amazing Christ-like example that he set before them. When he walked into the door our kids, regardless of the age, were ecstatic to see him as he returned home from work. He never put his job before our children and always made sure that our kids were well loved. His children were intrigued by his faith and consistently tried to pick his brain on his knowledge and relationship with the lord. Connor thrived off of friendship. He wore his heart on his sleeve and always tried to love his friends to the best that he could. One of his best friends, Ben Fox, said it best. “Connor cared about people. Connor had your back no matter what. Connor is the kind of friend that would help you out and not ask questions like why are you in trouble or why are you so foolish. He didn’t judge you. He truly cared about people and had a strong soul. He pursued his dreams. He didn’t want to bother people or receive pity, but mostly, he loved people.” Connor was a pastor and mentor within the workplace. He was a man that truly changed the direction of public relations. I remember him telling me while studying public relations at The University of Georgia that he hated the fact that the majority of the business involved manipulation and hateful tactics. He devoted his entire life to changing corporate public relations and coming up with a new model that allows people to gain trust through motives of vulnerability, compassion, love, and grace. He always worked hard to please his employees. Connor was a philanthropist at heart. He always fulfilled his dream in adopting children and making them feel as if we conceived them. He was a natural at

facilitating community. He inspired people to do their best work not out of pressure but by instilling dreams into every person he met. Connor radiated Jesus. He walked around with the utmost confidence not because of his laundry list of accomplishments but more importantly because of what Jesus has accomplished through him. Connor always told me that he wanted to enter the gates of heaven with Jesus smiling and embracing him and saying “Well done! My good and faithful servant!”

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!“You!cried!and!the!world!rejoiced.!Live!your!life!so!that!when!you!die,!the!

world!cries!and!you!rejoice”!–!Cherokee!Expression!!

Connor Siegel’s Personal Purpose “Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college

degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only

need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”!–!MLK Jr. !

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I will live my life wholeheartedly and passionately running after my faith in Jesus Christ. Without my faith, I am nothing. Without my faith, my heart is cold, my ambitions are dead, and my dreams are not only limited but empty. I am going to love well, learn hard, live passionately and dream big. I am a dreamer, I am a visionary, but most importantly, I am a broken man made whole through the grace and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I will be relentless in the way that I love people. I will never forego my love for service and my heart for companionship and accountability. I will be a community facilitator. I will evoke passion, ignite fires, enable dreams, and empower others. I will edify positives, show grace to negatives, and embrace change welcomingly. Most importantly, I will be an advocate for my faith, a disciple to men, and ultimately a dreamer of impossible dreams made possible through faith and determination.

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service.

I acted and behold, service was joy.”

-- Rabindranath Tagore

The core of my being centers back to service, community, and my

faith. I find myself truly happiest when people that have this incredible zest for life and heart for service surround me. Right now,

UGA Miracle and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta have captivated my heart. I spend countless hours devoted to fundraising because I have

firsthand seen the impact that it has on these family’s lives. This experience has shaped my dream for serving others into a potential career of service by utilizing my degree to impact thousands of hearts

through inspiration. My core desires to inspire action and change.

I am truly happiest when I am serving others and can see firsthand the impact that I’ve had on their lives. One of my favorite quotes is, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and

go do it. Because what the world needs is people who come alive.” Enabling people makes me come alive, empowering others makes me

come alive. I have always said that I would not be able to work a desk job because I have to be around people in order reach my full

potential. When I am truly alive, I can inspire others to come alive, which in

turn will set off a chain reaction. If the world comes alive, then people will be set free, dreams will become realities, and the world’s

happiness will be restored.

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Component II: The Leadership Vision

My Leadership Values Selfless love: “Only God can give us a selfless love for others, as the Holy Spirit changes us from within.” – Billy Graham !Love!conquers!all.!People!need!people.!I!simply!believe!that!as!a!leader!or!manager!your!job!is!to!best!serve!and!love!the!people!you!employ.!As!a!leader!you!are!there!to!empower!the!individuals!who!seek!your!leadership,!not!the!opposite!way!around.!The!way!I!foresee!a!powerful!leader!doing!this!is!through!selfless!love.!!!I!believe!that!if!I!am!not!acting!out!of!love,!then!my!actions!are!unimportant!and!irrelevant.!Every!decision!needs!to!come!well!thought!out!with!the!intention!of!serving!my!coworkers,!clients,!and!patients!with!their!best!interest!at!heart.!Love!must!be!the!forefront!of!every!decision!that!I!make.!!Vulnerability and Transparency: “ What happens when people open their hearts? They get better” --Haruki Murakami !! Vulnerability!and!transparency!are!crucial!to!my!effectiveness!as!a!leader.!I!believe!that!too!much!in!this!world!is!clouded!by!this!opaque!version!of!the!truth.!Most!people!have!built!these!walls!up!to!protect!their!heart,!their!actions!and!their!futures,!mainly!because!in!the!past!people!have!hurt!them!while!their!walls!have!been!lowered.!!! I!want!to!create!a!work!environment!in!which!walls!can!be!lowered,!people!can!be!trusted,!and!folks!can!be!completely!vulnerable!about!their!home!lives.!My!business!office!and!cohort!will!not!place!work,!money,!and!business!over!the!importance!of!the!people!who!complete!these!jobs.!In!order!for!me!to!establish!this!work!environment,!I!will!have!to!be!vulnerable!about!who!I!am,!my!goals,!passions,!weakness,!and!the!desire!to!grow,!before!the!entire!company.!I!will!establish!monthly!meetings!between!me!and!my!employees!to!sit!down!and!simply!talk!about!their!life!concerns!and!accomplishments.!People!deserve!to!be!loved.!People!need!to!be!celebrated.! Champion People !I!will!make!it!a!priority!to!champion!people.!As!previously!mentioned,!during!my!1E1!times!with!my!employees,!I!will!ask!them!to!establish!dreams!that!inspire!them.!I!want!to!dream!alongside!of!them!and!help!push!them!to!accomplish!those!dreams.!No!single!person!in!this!world!can!accomplish!success!without!the!help!of!others.!People!need!people…!that!is!true!about!everyone.!I!want!to!find!tactical!strategies!to!champion!people!to!achieving!their!dreams.!I!want!to!serve!as!a!mentor!and!a!friend!to!my!employees,!not!stand!as!a!boss!mentality.

The leader within me, within Him !My!personal!definition!of!leadership!is!based!upon!Jesus!Christ.!I!believe!that!He!sets!a!flawless!standard!for!how!a!leader!should!influence!people.!I!have!adopted!my!definition!from!my!faith!in!which!it!has!influenced!me!greatly.!My!definition!of!leadership!is!to!empower!(goal)!others!(group)!by!equipping!(influence)!them!with!the!proper!mindset!in!order!to!humbly!take!an!introspective!look!at!their!heart!in!order!to!accomplish!their!dreams!(goal!+influence).!Leadership!is!less!about!the!leader!and!more!about!the!person!following!in!their!direction.!In!continuation,!leadership!is!about!serving!the!people!around!you!and!providing!what!they!need!in!order!to!reach!their!success.!I!also!believe!that!leadership!is!about!vulnerability,!transparency,!and!relentless!love!through!determination.!!! I!believe!that!my!leadership!definition!and!approach!seems!to!reflect!the!servant!leadership!perspective.!I!strongly!believe!that!as!a!leader!you!are!called!to!be!there!for!people!that!are!under!your!authority.!It’s!not!what!can!the!people!under!my!authority!do!for!me,!but!what!can!I!do,!as!a!leader,!for!them.!The!servant!leadership!approach!emphasizes!showing!empathy,!active!listening,!being!aware!of!circumstances,!being!a!good!steward,!building!effective!communities!and!teams,!but!most!importantly!being!committed!to!the!growth!of!people.!!! One!of!my!favorite!quotes!about!servant!leadership!comes!from!the!Bible!itself.!In!Mark!10:45,!the!Bible!says,!“!For!even!the!Son!of!Man!came!not!to!be!served!but!to!serve,!to!give!his!life!as!a!ransom!for!many.”!This!inspires!me.!The!Lord!of!Lords,!the!holy!father,!the!most!holy!person!on!high!came!down!to!serve!humanity.!Jesus!washed!people’s!feet,!looked!down!upon!no!one,!He!dined!with!the!most!hated!people!(tax!collectors).!That!is!true!inspiration!and!servant!leadership.!Jesus!had!one!of!the!largest!followings!in!history!and!that!is!because!he!consistently!humbled!himself!and!loved!others!first.!!

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Developing My Leadership Vision ! I!believe!that!leadership!is!something!that!is!extremely!personal!and!individualized.!I!do!not!believe!that!you!can!necessarily!teach!leadership!qualities,!but!rather,!inspire!people!to!utilize!their!natural!abilities!and!talents!in!order!to!become!a!leader.!That!is!why!I!believe!in!the!Terry!College!of!Business!Leadership!Certificate.!It!does!not!attempt!to!transform!leaders!into!a!cloned!robotic!replica!of!a!mathematic!formula!of!success,!but!rather,!it!allows!each!student!to!take!an!introspective!look!at!their!heart!and!pull!out!the!top!qualities!that!they!can!use!to!influence!people.!!!!! My!leadership!vision!has!been!a!work!in!progress!since!I!entered!college.!I!believe!that!the!best!leaders!are!the!ones!who!walk!confidently!in!their!identity!with!the!freedom!to!be!who!they!are!created!to!be.!With!that!in!mind,!my!leadership!vision!involves!me!garnering!all!my!assets!and!strengths!I!have!acquired!or!found!within!myself!and!utilizing!them!to!empower!others!to!help!them!walk!in!the!freedom!that!I!am!chasing!after.!!On!the!road!to!freedom!and!selfTdiscovery,!I!believe!that!I!have!unleashed!an!incredible!power!of!confidence!that!will!inspire!others!to!do!the!same.!I!want!nothing!more!than!to!make!a!positive!impact!on!my!family!and!workplace!through!sacrificial!love!and!intentional!actions.!When!I!die,!I!hope!to!hear!my!God!approach!me!and!say!“well!done!!My!good!and!faithful!servant.”

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My Leadership Vision: I will lead with intentionality and selflessness. I will change the perspective on public relations from a manipulation viewpoint to one of vulnerability and transparency. I will lead with compassion and grace through empowering others to reach their dreams. I will dream impossible dreams, because with faith, nothing is impossible. I will lead by facilitating community and effective teams through inspiring transparency and direct open communication. I will focus on changing the world by setting captives free from the shackles that they place on themselves due to insecurities and inhibitions. People will feel loved and cared about. I will make sure that each person knows that they are more than just a number, more than just an employee, but rather a human with a powerful story. I will embrace failure and grow from it. Life is beautiful and I will lead with a mindset that embraces positive change in people’s lives. “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And together, we'll change the world.”

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Leadership Legacy For the rest of my life, I want to live according to the motto, “more than just a number!” This simply means to me that each individual person on this planet has a purpose, a story, a dream. We are often told to dream big and we misinterpret that as having to impact the world on one massive changing movement. However, change starts within, then one individual at a time. I hope that the legacy that I leave is that everyone can say that I cared about the individual, I cared about “the one”. I want to have a positive impact on everyone I meet but if it is just one person throughout my time that I positively impact or help them reach their dream, then I lived out my life’s purpose. I hope that when I die and move on past this world that I be more than a tombstone but a chain reaction of love that captivates this world for Jesus Christ. I am a visionary. I am a believer. I am a world-changer… but most importantly… I. am. me.

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Component III: Assessments and Feedback

A major component of leadership development is to “know thyself”. The Terry Institute for Leadership Advancement provides multiple tests that help the individual take an introspective look at oneself to gain knowledge at areas of self-success, areas of improvement that need extra attention in order to reach full potential. Through the process of completing various tests and quizzes, I have concluded my strongest and weakest attributes of my leadership ability. !

Keirsey Temperament Sorter The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is designed to help people pinpoint what their temperament is and what type of person they are. The test results break people into four different temperaments and then ultimately sixteen types of people. According to the assessment feedback report, “this report is designed to help you understand how the needs and preferences of your temperament shape who you are and how you behave. Based on more than 50 years of research by Dr. David W. Keirsey, the Keirsey Temperament Sorter-II has been completed by millions of people worldwide.” The following are my results:

ENFJ: Idealist Teacher

The Keirsey Assessment Temperament Sorter describes my temperament as idealist and my type of idealist temperament is Teacher. My letters are ENFJ, which stands for expressive, introspective, friendly, and scheduled. The part that spoke most truth over my life is “Idealists are enthusiastic people who can find joy in meaningful relationships as well as the world around them.” “People of this temperament can pride themselves on being loving, kindhearted, and authentic.” My entire life I have had a heart focused upon people. I see myself as an individual who is very empathetic and that I simply trust too many people too easily…. Which I think actually aids my ability to garner close and intimate friendships because I show them that I trust in who they say to be. I don’t perceive people as for what they are but rather the value they have within in them and the potential that they have to become something greater. As a leader, I try to evoke that potential and encourage them to pursue these immaculate traits that they may not see within. I love that the assessment says that I have a natural ability to animate, motivate, and even inspire their people to collaborate in an atmosphere of mutual caring and respect through personal relations. Another key aspect that rings true in my report is that I am somewhat critical of rules and regulations if they hinder enthusiasm. This past summer my leader utilized a curfew that hindered my ability to invest into others during the late night hours. I was extremely argumentative and frustrated with this rule change and saw it as causing more harm than good for my personal life. Although this is a somewhat negative characteristic, I can see myself transforming it into a positive quality when I stand as a liaison between my employees and upper level management. Something that I would like to work on to improve is the way that I “meddle into people’s affairs and give off an impression that I always know what’s best for them.” This test pointed out a flaw that was buried within me that I was too scared to come to the realization. I remember back in high school that my heart broke when my friends began drinking alcohol during my sophomore year of high school. I tried to talk them out of these decisions, and although my heart was in the right place, my words and actions did not reflect that. I am beginning to learn how to invest in people the right way, without coming off as knowing what is best for them. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter confirmed my hopeful work environment would be a place that I can show my warmth and invest in my relationships. It will also hopefully provide supportive collaborators, and will help me grow in my ability of improvisational speaking. I have taken these suggestions from the personality test and implemented them through my leadership experiences with UGA Miracle. My role under the fundraising committee is to invest in people’s lives, and to help empower them to reach their goals. Recently I had the opportunity to stand before 200 people and deliver an empowering speech to help them raise $100 in 24 hours. I believe that everyone should take this test because it helps people understand not only themselves, but others as well. This allows employers to build effective teams as different personalities and people types work cohesively with complimentary personality types.

Strength Development Inventory The strengths development inventory is a suite of psychometric tests and a practical methodology for empowering people to improve relationships and manage conflict more effectively. The two main conditions that SDI seeks to help people identify their roles in managing conflict are when things are running smoothly and going well, but also when the situation causes conflict to arise. The SDI suggests that one’s personal strengths may be used to improve relationships with others. This test measures how one feels and behaves in different scenarios.

Motivational Value System: Red-Blue. Assertive- Nurturing Conflict Sequence: Blue—Green, Cautious—Supporting

! According!to!the!results!I!scored!as!a!red2blue!or!assertive2nurturing!for!calmer!situations.!It!means!that!I!am!concerned!for!the!protection,!growth,!and!welfare!of!others!through!task!accomplishment!and!leadership.!It!also!says!that!some!of!my!strengths!include!actively!seeking!opportunities!to!help!others;!persuading!others!to!ensure!maximum!growth!and!development!of!others;!being!open!to!proposals!for!creating!welfare!and!security!for!others;!and!creating!enthusiasm!and!support!in!tackling!obstacles!to!success.!!! After!seeking!council!and!taking!an!introspective!look!at!my!heart!and!actions,!I!think!my!results!are!extremely!accurate.!My!heart!and!passions!all!surround!people!and!being!around!people.!Although!unhealthy,!sometimes!I!find!my!worth!in!my!relationships!with!people!and!how!they!view!me.!That!being!said,!the!result!that!says!I!actively!seek!opportunities!to!help!others,!rings!true!about!my!overall!personality!because!engrained!within!me!is!this!idea!that!I!have!to!earn!friendships!or!people’s!loyalty.!An!example!of!this!is!for!my!21st!birthday!party!my!friend!drove!2!hours!out!of!his!way!to!come!to!Athens!to!surprise!me!for!my!birthday.!My!initial!reaction!was!to!pay!for!his!gas!money!in!exchange!for!the!surprise!instead!of!simply!enjoying!his!presence.!!

! Another!facet!of!my!results!that!is!extremely!true!is!that!I!enjoy!persuading!others!to!ensure!maximum!growth!in!their!development.!A!prime!example!of!this!is!with!my!best!friend.!He!is!an!extremely!confident!guy!who!puts!on!this!façade!that!he!has!it!all!together!and!walks!confidently!in!his!identity.!However,!I!always!knew!this!façade!was!real!and!was!determined!to!pour!into!him!and!build!his!already!high!confidence!level!because!I!knew!deep!down!he!needed!to!grow!in!his!internal!confidence!and!that!outside!perspectives!controlled!his!thoughts.!I!recently!received!validation!of!my!presumption!as!he!thanked!me!for!constantly!calling!the!gold!out!in!his!life!to!ensure!confidence!versus!keeping!him!humble!like!most!of!our!friends.!!! According!to!the!results!an!engaging!environment!for!me!is!one!with!openness,!mentoring,!compassion,!and!sincerity.!These!qualities!seem!to!be!very!accurate!in!my!life!when!looking!at!the!type!of!friendships!that!have!been!most!successful!in!my!life.!Throughout!my!life,!I!have!always!easily!become!friends!with!females!because!of!their!ability!to!empathize!and!be!vulnerable.!!Now!as!the!church!is!headed!toward!releasing!the!typical!standards!of!what!we!expect!men!to!look!like,!more!men!are!being!capable!of!vulnerability.!!! Two!weaknesses!that!could!hold!me!back!are!the!fact!that!my!supportiveness!could!turn!into!too!much!self2sacrifice.!Sometimes!I!put!too!much!pressure!on!myself!to!put!aside!my!needs!and!desires!in!order!to!put!other!people!first!which!can!potentially!be!detrimental!to!my!health!and!life.!!The!other!deals!with!smothering.!I!desperately!need!companionship!and!people!to!walk!through!life!with!and!sometimes!that!can!lead!me!to!become!smothering!which!can!really!damage!relationships!with!people!who!may!be!in!the!green!section.!!! Two!characteristics!that!will!be!helpful!in!my!leadership!capabilities!are!the!fact!that!I!am!devoted!and!loyal.!An!example!of!this!is!my!devotion!to!UGA!miracle;!I!spend!countless!hours!each!day!trying!to!fundraise!to!reach!my!goal!of!3000.00.!In!order!to!show!my!commitment!I!am!instituting!an!incentive!program!that!if!I!reach!my!goal!then!I!am!going!to!shave!my!head!on!stage!with!the!kids.!I!will!also!be!extremely!loyal!to!anyone!that!shows!me!the!tiniest!bit!of!love.!I!will!go!to!the!ends!of!this!earth!to!love!and!serve!people,!ultimately!because!that’s!what!makes!me!happiest.!!! My!conflict!sequence!is!blue2green!which!means!I!am!a!person!who!will!always!strive!to!maintain!peace!and!harmony!with!a!careful!eye!toward!personal!cost.!However,!if!these!efforts!fail!then!sometimes!I!resort!to!fighting!for!my!rights!and!values!with!an!extra!bit!of!forcefulness.!!I!could!run!into!issues!during!conflict!because!I!will!have!an!eternal!battle!between!my!blue!and!green!side!of!accommodating!others!while!restoring!harmony!but!then!also!spending!too!much!time!being!too!cautious!which!could!delay!a!major!decision.!

Emotional Intelligence According to the website, the emotional intelligence test has two parts; a self-reported section and an ability-based section. The test assesses my capacity to recognize my own emotions and those of others (empathy); and my understanding about how to best motivate myself, become close to others, and manage my own feelings of others.

EQ: 118 Percentile score: 90

According!to!the!test!one!of!my!strongest!EI!skills!that!I!have!mastered!is!comfort!with!emotions.!I!believe!that!is!very!accurate!with!my!life.!Throughout!my!childhood,!teenage!years,!and!early!adult!life!I!have!been!told!to!express!who!I!am!and!to!communicate!through!my!emotions.!My!family!is!a!very!emotional!family!and!I!have!been!blessed!with!the!opportunity!to!serve!my!friends!through!counseling!and!I!currently!disciple!multiple!guys!who!are!younger!than!me.!This!allows!me!to!listen!to!their!fears,!joys,!successes,!failures,!anxieties,!and!help!them!work!through!their!emotional!reactions.!Emotions!have!surrounded!me!from!the!start!of!my!life!and!I!have!always!been!extremely!comfortable!with!people!who!reveal!their!intimate!emotions.!I!believe!vulnerability!is!a!great!tool!to!utilize!when!connecting!with!people!because!if!a!leader!shows!their!most!vulnerable!intentions!and!hearts!then!it!gives!their!peers!a!reason!to!trust!and!follow!them.!!! Another!strength!that!the!E.I.!assessment!directed!me!toward!is!my!close!mastery!in!social!insight!and!self2motivation.!I!scored!a!100!on!social!insight!and!I!believe!that!it!means!that!I!know!how!to!handle!social!interactions!and!different!types!of!people!very!well.!I!strive!to!find!common!ground!and!interest!with!people!of!diverse!backgrounds!and!generally!do!well!in!facilitating!relationships!amongst!other!people!who!may!not!normally!be!friends.!One!example!of!this!is!during!my!time!as!a!resident!assistant.!I!had!an!extremely!diverse!group!of!students!from!international!residents,!to!star!athletes,!to!5th!year!seniors,!and!ultimately!I!created!an!interconnected!environment!that!is!very!difficult!in!the!style!of!apartments!that!I!lived!in.!!Finding!ways!to!motivate!myself!has!never!been!a!tough!situation!for!me.!I!am!driven!by!success!and!finding!ways!to!incorporate!my!heart!and!passions!into!my!work.!If!I!am!bored!with!school!work,!jobs,!or!life!in!general!I!strive!to!reevaluate!my!purpose!in!doing!it!and!alter!my!mindset!and!heart!so!that!I!can!try!and!put!my!best!work!forward!by!implementing!my!passions!into!the!outcome.!!! My!favorite!strength!that!the!assessment!pointed!out!was!my!value!for!integrity.!When!I!die,!I!aspire!to!be!known!as!a!man!who!lived!his!life!with!the!utmost!integrity.!I!never!want!to!be!known!as!a!man!who!cheats!people,!manipulates!objectives,!or!hinders!situations!just!so!that!I!can!be!propelled!forward.!I!strive!to!be!selfless!and!to!serve!others!whole2heartedly!so!that!I!can!live!this!life!that!reflects!my!faith.!I!was!ecstatic!to!see!the!assessment!point!out!this!quality!as!strength!of!mine.!!! The!emotional!intelligence!test!also!gave!me!wonderful!insight!into!what!I!should!potentially!improve!on!in!order!to!have!complete!control!over!my!emotions.!One!of!the!major!flaws!that!I!have!is!assertiveness.!I!agree!with!this!result!whole2heartedly.!I!am!extremely!passionate!about!people!and!serving!people.!Friendships!are!the!second!most!important!thing!in!my!life!and!I!often!try!to!tiptoe!around!my!needs!and!desires!so!that!other!people!are!happy!in!fear!of!losing!them!as!a!friend.!I!rarely!have!the!confidence!to!assert!myself!into!situations!in!which!I!feel!almost!as!if!I!am!underappreciated!or!not!cared!about.!I!would!much!rather!make!sure!the!other!person!is!happy!than!assert!myself!into!a!

situation!and!give!someone!else!an!inconvenience.!However,!I!realize!this!is!a!major!weakness!and!I!am!working!toward!having!more!confidence!and!realize!that!I!am!worth!people’s!time!and!energy!and!that!my!friends!and!peers!do!respect!me!and!that!if!I!assert!myself!in!a!respectful!way!then!nothing!negative!should!come!from!it.!Another!negative!that!the!assessment!pointed!toward!is!my!lack!of!impulse!control.!However!I!only!agree!with!this!in!part.!I!believe!with!purchasing!decisions!and!with!a!choice!of!whether!or!not!to!eat!something!healthy!or!fattening!then!I!lack!this!control!of!impulse!greatly!and!immediately!experience!buyer’s!remorse.!However,!in!regard!to!my!emotions!and!how!I!react!to!my!emotions,!I!believe!that!I!have!a!great!amount!of!control!in!how!I!react!to!people!based!upon!my!emotions.!I!am!currently!working!toward!a!goal!of!me!controlling!my!emotions!and!not!letting!my!emotions!control!me.!I!sometimes!become!overwhelmed!with!sadness,!or!anxiety!and!I!am!now!working!through!my!heart!to!not!let!that!control!my!reactions!but!instead!choose!joy.!!! I!believe!the!most!inaccurate!part!of!my!results!is!my!low!score!for!empathy.!I!have!always!considered!myself!as!someone!who!is!very!focused!upon!others.!I!place!a!ton!of!emphasis!on!listening!to!people’s!hearts!and!struggles!and!helping!them!make!sense!of!the!reality!before!them.!It!pains!me!to!see!my!best!friends!struggle!or!when!they!are!sad!I!ultimately!feel!their!sadness.!I!believe!that!I!can!easily!place!myself!into!the!“other”!realm!very!easily!and!sometimes!I!am!the!exact!contrary!to!my!results!in!the!fact!that!I!spend!too!much!time!in!the!“other”!realm.!!! I!think!the!biggest!challenge!that!I!might!have!within!the!workplace!is!my!inability!to!be!assertive.!If!I!am!working!an!entry2level!position!or!an!internship!I!could!see!myself!accepting!my!role!as!“less!than”!and!not!sticking!up!for!myself!if!I!am!being!treated!fairly.!I!think!as!I!grow!in!my!ability!to!assert!myself!I!will!learn!the!possibility!to!stand!up!for!what!is!right!in!my!self2perception!while!still!being!respectful!of!the!situation!and!my!role!as!an!employee.!!! !! This!is!assessment!is!going!to!help!me!pay!more!attention!to!my!control!over!my!emotions!instead!of!having!them!control!me.!I!think!I!will!now!be!able!to!take!a!step!back!from!situations!that!I!am!emotionally!involved!in!and!be!able!to!assess!the!situation!with!more!logical!appeal!versus!just!emotions.!I!think!that!both!logic!and!emotion!should!go!hand!in!hand!but!when!one!overrides!the!other!then!it!could!be!detrimental!in!handling!a!situation.!Right!now!I!am!focused!on!making!both!end!of!that!spectrum!collide!into!a!happy!medium.!I!will!also!place!heavy!emphasis!on!becoming!more!empathetic!toward!people!that!I!may!not!necessarily!have!compassion!for.!I!generally!strive!to!step!into!the!realm!of!“other”!but!occasionally!when!someone!is!lazy,!unwilling!to!change,!or!to!stubborn!to!look!at!the!positive!side,!I!lose!my!patience.!The!analysis!of!this!assessment!made!me!take!a!harder!look!at!myself!to!conclude!that!although!I!am!empathetic!I!could!expand!it!to!more!situations!and!not!just!the!people!that!I!“respect”!!!! One!area!that!I!could!easily!see!more!growth!in!is!Ego!Maturity.!I!scored!a!72!in!this!section!and!after!reading!the!description!that!someone!with!a!high!score!should!possess!a!healthy!and!strong!sense!of!self.!Although!I!am!confident!in!who!I!am!and!have!a!well!established!identity.!I!do!struggle!with!self2confidence!in!regards!to!my!friendships.!Although!I!am!an!extreme!networker!and!have!the!respect!and!strong!reputation!across!campus,!I!sometimes!doubt!my!worth!to!individual!people.!I!am!very!content!with!my!life!however!I!do!not!want!to!stop!at!“content”.!Just!like!in!my!faith!there!is!so!much!learning!and!knowledge!to!acquire,!so!many!more!people!to!love,!relationships!to!build,!projects!to!

complete.!I!think!this!desire!to!expand!myself!could!potentially!be!damaging!as!I!stretch!myself!thing!but!I!know!that!I!am!happiest!when!I!am!very!busy.!!! The!second!section!that!I!could!strive!to!improve!in!was!the!Emotional!understanding!area!in!which!I!scored!a!73.!I!know!that!I!take!captive!my!thoughts!and!am!a!very!insightful!individual!and!consider!the!whole!situation!when!making!judgments!about!other!people’s!emotions!or!behavior!but!sometimes!I!apparently!struggle!with!emotional!integration.!Sometimes!I!do!not!understand!where!certain!feelings!and!hostilities!derive!from!in!a!certain!place.!For!instance,!if!someone!calls!someone!ugly,!most!people!will!laugh!it!off!and!not!think!twice!about!it,!but!for!someone!who!was!bullied!as!a!middle!school!student,!but!now!as!a!pretty!adult!hears!something!like!that,!then!they!may!be!extremely!affected.!I!am!now!learning!that!everyone!has!a!history!and!there!is!a!reason!behind!every!reaction!and!behavior.!Instead!of!judging!someone’s!reaction!that!may!seem!inappropriate,!I!will!strive!to!invest!into!that!person!and!help!them!work!through!those!thoughts!and!feelings!that!may!be!repressed!because!of!a!painful!memory.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~Interviews and Feedback~ The Bible reveals to me very distinctive qualities about Jesus that show his effectiveness as a leader amongst people. In my opinion one of the most empowering qualities that Jesus had was His knowledge and confidence of His true identity. Jesus never allowed other people to define Him, he specifically called out His own identity by stating who He was, “ I am the bread of life, I am the Son of God, I am the way, the truth, and the life.” This encourages me to take an introspective look at myself to attempt to find out what my identity and how to clearly define who Connor Steven Siegel is today. Although I perceive myself as extremely confident in my true identity, I struggle occasionally to walk in my self-assured state of mind. Every now and then I begin to compare myself to other people and find myself desirous of other people’s qualities or characteristics that may not be prominent in my life at that moment of time. Right now, I am learning that comparison is the greatest stealer of joy and that every fiber of my being and personality was designed intentionally. I am beginning to learn to look at Jesus when it comes to confidence in my identity and strive to be more like Him in the sense that I acquire the knowledge of my true purpose in this walk of life. I spent years relentlessly digging into my heart and pulling out past experiences that shaped who I am today but I hope through this assignment I can relinquish those experiences and look at who I was created to be and begin walking in that confident identity. I genuinely believe that love heals all brokenness and when I act out of love and compassion then people are more likely to trust what I have to offer. I’ve adopted this belief from the way that Jesus carried himself while counseling, healing, and teaching His followers. Jesus didn’t perform miracles (healing the blind, multiplying food to feed the masses, etc.) to show His immaculate and omnipotent characteristics but rather His actions reflected His heart full of love. In John 13:1 the Bible states, “Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end.” Another clear example of how Jesus effectively leads through loving people is his unending grace that He showed Peter who denied Him three times. Jesus knew that Peter would betray him yet he showed Him mercy, forgiveness, but ultimately love which empowered Peter to become a more faithful servant. If I do not have love and if I do not act out of love then I believe the products of my actions are worthless and meaningless. I strive to look at each individual the way Jesus did and realize that each human has something remarkable to bring to the table, sometimes all they need is a loving leader to hone in on their strengths and love them effectively by encouraging them to utilize those talents. Leaders are real people with real struggles that need council and advice in order to fully achieve their max potential. Another main quality of Jesus example of leadership was His ability to be vulnerable. I strongly believe that vulnerability and transparency do not indicate weakness but rather is a true test of strength and desire to grow through the shortcomings that leaders may face. In the garden, Jesus asked his disciples to pray for Him before he was led to crucifixion. In Mark 14:34 Jesus gives us an example of effective communication through transparency and vulnerability, which is essential in leading people, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” When Jesus allowed himself to be vulnerable I believe that he allowed himself to be a tangible relational God to His followers, which added a sense of validity to His identity as a man. In my opinion this translates into modern day life experiences because I have seen firsthand that leaders who are transparent about their struggles and shortcomings gain an overwhelming amount of support founded in trust. In my personal life I strongly

desire to learn about people’s hearts and with that knowledge I can help empower them by focusing on their desires and to transform their insecurities into powerful identities. However, I cannot penetrate people’s hearts without allowing myself to be completely transparent and vulnerable beforehand.

The Interviews:

The following interviews were taken via e-mail and are the truest responses with no editing, tampering, or changes made by myself. Each interview expresses interesting insight into who I am as a leader, person, and friend. They focus on my strengths, weaknesses, and areas that I need improvement.

Hayden Champan—Best friend, accountability partner What are my 3 greatest personal strengths? Please give times/examples to which you’ve seen me express these qualities and traits. How do you think these qualities will impact my leadership effectiveness.

1. Your heart/ care for others 2. You’re diligence 3. You have boldness

First off, it’s easy for everyone to see that you have a big heart for whatever your doing. You’re never one foot in the door and one foot out, you’re all in. you also do a great job of expressing how much you care about the people around you. Secondly, you just don’t go away, and that’s a great thing. What ever you want to do, you don’t stop till it’s done Third, you have some of that boldness I’m talking about. The way you dropped everything you had last year to get godly friends was very bold.

2. What are my 3 greatest personal weaknesses? Please give behavioral evidence. How do you think these weaknesses will impact my leadership effectiveness.

1. Confidence 2. Influenced by other’s opinions 3. How you commit yourself

You are confident in ways, but not in others. You are very confident when it comes to talking to others, but you get very insecure. You’re not confident in who you are sometimes. You overthink and second guess too much. I feel like that is all because of how concerned you are of others opinions of you. yes, the public’s perception of you is important, but not that important. I feel like you could become a better leader if you didn’t worry as much about what people say, and believed in yourself more. This one isn’t really that prevalent, but sometimes I feel like you spread yourself thin and try to be apart of everything. You lose your influence when you can’t commit yourself 100%.

Dr. Jill Rucker—Professor for FYOS: The Need to Lead, Mentor What are my 3 greatest personal strengths? Please give times/examples to which you’ve seen me express these qualities and traits. How do you think these qualities will impact my leadership effectiveness. Man of integrity: you are led by your faith, morals, and values and you ACTUALLY LIVE BY THEM! This is apparent in your Facebook posts. This means you are willing to do what is right, even if it is not the “popular” choice You are kind: you are aware of the people around you and work to ensure that people are connected. For example, in class you may partner up with someone who does not have a partner or speak to someone who is sitting alone. Charismatic: you have a magnetic personality and people are drawn to you. You are a natural born leader (I bet you will discuss this “natural born” phenomenon in class) and therefore people look to you for leadership. I believe this is witnessed in the leadership roles you have taken in Student Government (ASG), your fraternity, and your college. I believe these three qualities help make you an approachable leader. And I believe you have been an effective leader in your previous leadership roles. 2. What are my 3 greatest personal weaknesses? Please give behavioral evidence. How do you think these weaknesses will impact my leadership effectiveness. You want to please people: You are a people person! You like people and want them to like you! Therefore, it weighs heavily on you when people are upset with you. It is hard for you to say no to others, which can result in personal costs such as lack of sleep or attention to your personal priorities. However, as stated before, you are not afraid to make tough decisions for the greater good even though it may not be the popular thing to do. Type A: sometimes you are wound a little tight, worry too much, and need to relax. This causes additional stress for you and makes your overall performance suffer. However, it also means you are the person who makes sure things get done. It is a fine line to walk. High Expectations of Others: you expect a lot from yourself and therefore, have the same expectations of others. Therefore, you are very disappointed when someone lets you down and it can impact your relationship with them.

Harrison Freemyer: House Church Leader Connors 3 greatest personal strengths 1. Intentionality- Connor always seeks out others and makes sure they are doing okay. He does not micro manage, but he is always available to help those under his leadership. One way I have seen this play out, is this school year a lot of the students who are heavily involved with him were struggling personally and Connor continued to check on them and make sure they were doing okay in all areas of their life. 2. Communication- Connor does a great job of effectively communicating his ideas, feelings, and desires to others, and is extremely engaging in his conversations with others. He excels in all areas of communication from public speaking to one on one personal conversation. I have seen Connor effectively promote his idea and get people to get on board from a public speaking arena, and I have also seen Connor effectively express his frustrations and repair damage in personal relationships. 3. love for people- Connor is a leader who actually cares about others. He does not use people to get tasks done, but is always seeking to see how he can best help them. In all areas of his leadership and life Connor loves those around them and makes them feel important and empowered to lead. I have personally seen Connor deal with difficult employees that he worked with, with a loving caring heart that sought to help his employee rather than ostracize him. He really was able to get the most out of the employee by loving him rather than trying to get him fired. Connors 3 greatest Personal Weaknesses 1. Emotions- Connor's emotionally driven decisions are generally good because he takes in account real humans and not just robots, he truly cares about others feelings. However sometimes his emotions can cloud his judgment when making an effective decision. Connor simply needs to work hard to make sure his emotions don't take over logic and reason when leading people. 2. Lack of belief in yourself- Connor is a great leader, but one of his biggest downfalls is his doubt in himself. Connor is a leader in all aspects of his life, but too often sits back and lets others lead because he doesn't believe in himself. When Connor truly understands that his a leader regardless of what he thinks, he will begin to be more confident in his leadership, which will increase his influence because people follow confident people. 3. Over commitment- Connor is one of the most committed people I know, but his love for people, and drive to get things done can become a downfall when he tries to do everything. Over commitment can actually slow progress and keep him from focusing on the things that matter. One skill that Connor will need to grow in, is his ability to say no to people and to projects in order to focus on the important tasks at hand.

Billy Bowes—Adult Discipler and Mentor - Connor’s greatest strengths: *Passion for/willingness to commit to causes/people without settling or compromising *Communication skills (having a powerful voice), people skills (simply caring about people and enjoying social situations) *A willingness to learn and be taught, which is one of the most important parts of the leader’s identity

- Connor’s greatest weaknesses: *Reconciliation with individuals that have character differences - The reason I say this is from what I remember of your interaction with Scotty midway through the summer. As I recall, you both had a difficult conversation and for some reason he felt disrespected and it seems like it was never reconciled fully as perhaps it should have been. All that I would encourage you to do about that is to humble yourself and be willing to listen to criticism even when it feels unnecessary or even inaccurate. *Submission to leaders with different leadership styles - I think at least one person in every group this summer struggled with this. I saw examples of this at first with the somewhat rough interaction you had with Drew early on in the summer. You both worked that out eventually, but all I would encourage you to do is be quick to hear and to grow. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to agree with every leadership decision of someone else. I feel like you may have struggled with this with Stephen. He led very different than you would, or even I would. I use the word “submission” carefully here too. That doesn’t mean you just unquestioningly do everything people say, but you seek to learn from them and walk with them however you can if you are specifically placed under their leadership. *Drawing a line with humor and seriousness - this may be less important in the moment, but in the long term it is significant. For example, I remember you using a lot of self-deprecating humor. That’s not necessarily bad - you should definitely be able to take a joke and laugh at yourself (I learned that a lot this summer). But, be careful to draw a line or else it will take longer for people to learn what respect should mean. For example, if you joke too much about yourself, then the people around you may take that as a cue of what is appropriate with how they can talk to and treat you and certain things will not always be appropriate. This is not a huge issue for you at all, but I see how it could possibly be an issue for you one day so I just thought you might want to think about it. For example, I love making people laugh. It brings me joy. But, if I joke more often than I speak encouragingly, seriously, or in an affirming way, I have found that people tend to not take the real things I say as seriously and find it more difficult to seek me out for advice or wisdom rather than for a joke. How we speak (about others and ourselves) is so important. No one will ever get to a point where they shouldn’t keep that in mind.

Mrs. Rosemary White—High School Mentor/ Teacher What are my 3 greatest personal strengths? Please give times/examples to which you’ve seen me express these qualities and traits. How do you think these qualities will impact my leadership effectiveness. Connor, you can work with anyone! You are never short or mean if a student needs more explanation, time or help. You never complained about being paired with any student, you always worked as hard as you could. You put in your fair share of work. You were accepting of others’ differences, be them intelligence, beliefs or personality differences. You are, simply, kind and accepting and a very good member of a group or class. You did your work but if you didn’t, you didn’t lie or pretend. You accepted the consequences with a smile and didn’t make excuses. But that was rare. You are a good student! 2. What are my 3 greatest personal weaknesses? Please give behavioral evidence. How do you think these weaknesses will impact my leadership effectiveness. Well, if you’re not interested in doing something, you do complain mightily, but you still do the work. And after you get the complaining out of your system, you don’t revisit and complain more. (Hey, I recognize myself in that!) You also don’t always give yourself credit for knowing as much as you do or being as smart as you are or being able to do things you really can do. I’m thinking of AP Spanish- you weren’t sure you could handle it, but BOY did you handle it! I was so happy you listened (another good trait of yours) to those that said you could do it and you did it.

Strengths Discovery Interviewee Strengths Hayden Champan Boldness, Heart for others, diligence Dr. Jill Rucker Integrity, kindness, charismatic Harrison Freemyer Intentionality, love for people, communication Billy Bowes Passion for causes, communication, a willingness to

learn Mrs. Rosemary White Accepting of others, kind, loyal 1. Integrity and intentionality: Throughout my PDLP, I have discussed the importance of having integrity in my life. I desire to change the outlook on public relations to transform from being a career field full of manipulation, framing, and lying toward one with transparency, honesty, and vulnerability. It was extremely refreshing to see that across the spectrum my interviewees mentioned that I was extremely intentional toward building relationships with people and empowering them. It was very humbling to hear that my integrity gives me a sense of credibility. “The greatness of a man is not how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to

affect those around him positively.” --- Bob Marley

2. People person/ outgoing/ great communicator This theme was extremely common throughout my developmental journals and especially the Keirsey Temperament Sorter where I scored a 9/10 for extroverted and a 10/10 for friendly. I thrive when people surround me. I am a strong advocate for the belief system that people need people. Regardless of how hidden, introverted, or quiet a person is, I believe that every single person needs to be embraced or loved efficiently. I believe that I can use these strengths to help people accomplish their dreams and to inspire them to overcome their weaknesses. I believe that as a leader, I am there to empower people, to help people uncover their stories, and help them to break the chains on what holds them back. The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship;

it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and

is willing to trust him. ��� Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. Passionate Passion creates movements. I believe that without passion, no work can be done. I love that I am seen as passionate. I think this really translates from my ability to put my entire heart into one thing until it’s completed. This is evident in my leadership role with UGA Miracle. I have fundraised $1,700 with a little less than half more to go! I am determined to reach my goal because my life has been changed by seeing and hearing the stories of the patients lives in how the children’s hospital has positively influenced their lives. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some

compassion, some humor, and some style” Maya Angelou

Weaknesses Discovery Interviewee Weaknesses Hayden Champan Lack of Confidence, Over Commitment, influenced

by others reactions Dr. Jill Rucker High Expectations for others, Type A, people

pleaser Harrison Freemyer Lack of Confidence, Over Commitment, Emotions Billy Bowes Drawling line with humor, reconciliation with

people with character differences, lack of ability to submit to authority with differing leadership styles.

Mrs. Rosemary White Lack of self credit, become uninterested when bored and begin to complain

1. Over commitment: I consider myself a “yes-man”. This stems from one of my strengths in being a people-oriented person. I thrive in an environment when everyone is happy, working together, and positively pouring into each other. Due to this mindset, I never really learned the word “no”. Throughout high school, I served as president of three clubs, vice president of a second, and then led the student section as an “Emcee”. This tradition continued as I served as a team leader for my ex-fraternity philanthropy, SGA freshman board, university council, SGA Senate, UGA HEROs, various ministries and more. I never wanted to disappoint a group of people and I always felt like I needed to prove myself. I am now trying to learn the word “no” and began cutting out things in my life that I am no longer useful toward, or that does not enhance my life’s purpose. This has been an extremely freeing experience and has allowed me to dive deeper into the groups that I am more passionate about like Miracle. 2. Lack of Confidence I hate stepping on people’s toes. I hate being needy. I hate having negative attention on me, so I used to spend a lot of time framing myself as if I had everything together with no problems or concerns. The area that I lack the most confidence in is in my relationships with friends. Luckily, the Lord has provided me with a group of guys who show me the utmost patience and love. They help me through anxiety attacks and never fail to tell me my worth to them when I need it most. I am extremely confident in my personal purpose, my faith, and my ability to lead, but I lack confidence in my physical appearance and recognizing that I am valued in people’s lives. I used to struggle with severe anxiety when it comes to the people that I love. I have recently learned that people receive and give love very differently from one another, and just because some people don’t show it the same way that I do, doesn’t mean that they don’t love me.

!

Component IV: Development Action Plan

Directed Outcome #1 I want to finally find freedom from anxiety and fear.

One of my top values is fearlessness. I have been called a fearless warrior. However, I do not believe that identity for myself… yet. I know that I am fearless when it comes to sharing my faith, ideas, morals, or thoughts on any given issue. I am fearless when it comes to making a fool of myself in front of a group of people through goofy dancing and singing. I am fearless about my future because I know it is in God’s hands and he has always provided even when I was overwhelmed with doubt. So in some fashion, yes I am fearless and I do walk in that. However on the other hand I have a crippling anxiety about my relationships with friends. One problem that I never have had is building relationships and fostering community. As an extrovert, caring, and sometimes overly outgoing person, I feel like I can create a relationship with any single person. Before now, I never really had a defined set of friends. I was the kid who every weekend hung out with different people because I was interested in how different people found joy in their lives. I tried to involve myself in every group of friends in my high school because I found it my mission to love and serve all types of people. I had my church friends, my athletic friends, my friends who partied hard, my friends whose one desire was to make a difference through clubs, and my “4.0 club friends”. I always spread myself thin and I never knew why. I say that I am an open book and that I’ll be vulnerable and transparent about any part of my life. Although that is valid in some capacities, I have found out this year I am very reluctant to put my biggest insecurities on the table because I don’t want to push people away. I think through this PDLP I’ve learned that I bounced from friend group to friend group because I was too scared to let people see all sides of me… because if they did then I wouldn’t be good enough. This stems back from my mother always telling me not to air my dirty laundry to our peers. I’ve finally learned that the truth sets you free, and there’s nothing more beautiful that releasing the chains you put on yourself. These past two semesters, the Lord has provided me with a core group of friends that love me relentlessly, show me the utmost patience, and help me work through these ridiculous anxieties. I used to find myself as a nuisance or that I was constantly taking in the relationship, but then I was told that there are times where we are in a season of growing and pruning, and it is okay to have a time in our lives where we need to be poured into. On my 21st birthday I received a letter from one of my friends who told me that I unknowingly unleashed freedom in his life on very specific levels and that he was thankful to have me as a best friend. I want to find freedom from the fear that I am not needed in my friendships. I want to find freedom from the anxiety that I love people more than they love me, when I have been told countless times the invalidity of this statement. I’ve learned that Satan tries to take your gifts and whisper lies in your ear, for example, I love people well and care about people well, so he lies and tells me that I’m unneeded and unloved. I am well on my way to freedom from this and the enemy is scared. I will no longer be bound by fear… because I am fearless.

Directed Outcome #1 Chart To overcome fear and anxiety:

Development*Activities*

Resources*and*Support*

Time*Line* Potential*Obstacles**

Evidence*of*Progress*

Meditate'and'

Pray'

Bible,'quiet'

rooms,'

journal'

Immediately,'

every'single'

day,'every'

time'I'feel'

anxiety'

starting'to'

brew.''

My'

stubbornness,'

not'enough'

time'in'day'to'

make'room'for'

prayer,'

sleeping'away'

stress'instead'

of'going'to'the'

source.''

Read'daily'

journal'and'

watch'the'

progress'being'

made'through'

daily'battles'

with'anxiety'

and'fear.''

Bring'up'issue'

with'my'

discipler/mentor'

Taylor'

Urgle—

mentor'

Every'

Thursday'at'

6:30'P.M''

My'own'selfK

consciousness.'

'

Our'schedules'

not'aligning''

Wesley'

Foundation’s'

Discipleship'

journal''

Continue'

working'through'

problems'with'

best'friends'

Hayden'

Chapman'

and'Ben'Fox'

No'exact'

timeline,'just'

when'

anxieties'

arise,'ask'for'

help.''

Our'schedules'

not'aligning.''

'

Irrational'fear'

of'judgment'

Ask'them'if'

they’ve'seen'

progress'in'my'

ability'to'

handle'anxiety.''

Journal'and'take'

an'introspective'

look'at'myself'to'

see'where'root'

of'anxiety'stems'

from'and'find'

freedom.''

Chris'

Dickson,'or'a'

spiritual'

guide,'

journal,'quiet'

space'to'be'

vulnerable'

in.''

Winter'break'

2014''

Schedules'not'

aligning.''

'

Not'being'able'

to'focus'

Finding'

whether'or'not'

I'see'the'root'of'

the'problem'

after'the'

thought/prayer'

process'

Exercise' Ramsey,'

P90x'videos,'

and'tennis'

shoes'

3'days'a'week'

for'30'

minutes'to'

start'out.''

I'become'too'

busy/lazy.''

I'would'feel'

happier'and'

have'more'

energy.''

Directed Outcome #2 To relinquish the control that social media has on my time, happiness, and my

life overall. This directed outcome goes hand in hand with my first DO goal. I began my journey with social media in the 7th grade with the MySpace era. I would spend hours hiding in my room editing my personal webpage that allowed me to put music that defined my emotions, a background that demonstrated my feelings, and create lists of “top friends” to broadcast to the world that person x,y,z were my “best friends” at the time. I’m sitting here rolling my eyes remembering the emotions and jealousy that revolved around this silly website. Friendships and drama would be built around whom was in whose “top friends lists” which seemed at the time to be the end all be all. Maybe I enjoyed the power of having control over what content I wanted to put out to the Internet. I remember coming up with powerful messages and blog posts that I wanted the world to read. As an angsty teenager, I was the poster child of how social media can propel someone forward. Through my political stances, religious statuses, and funny accounts of my daily life, my name began to spread throughout my area schools. Looking back, I think I enjoyed being able to control exactly what people think of me, by testing the waters with different key message and strategies. As I transitioned into high school I began a blog and entered into the world of Facebook and Twitter. I continued with using my voice through social media as a power tool. I created a revolution and petition against administration for the lack of student involvement in the decision to downgrade in conference sizes for athletic association. This led to the creation of a principal advisory council. However this is also where fear and anxiety from DO one began. I would often experience the natural phenomenon of FOMO (fear of missing out). As I would be with one group of friends, I would see pictures of another group hanging out and create an irrational fear of why I wasn’t invited. As a college student, my immature love for social media became an intense radical passion for the ability to broadcast messages and I have succeeded in that. Through Instagram, I have garnered over 40,000 likes, Twitter I have over 900 followers, and created a parody account with 2500 followers. I find myself deeply offended when I use a third-party app to see which people have unfollowed my social media accounts. Through my social media management class (ADPR 5990), I have seen that I have mastered social media and that I am successful in it. However, it has also mastered me. I worked out with my discipler that social media is important to me because of relationships. It gives me the ability to stay connected with people who I love. I place too much value on artificial worth through social media when I have actually been blessed with real worthy friendships. I have a powerful voice and when I speak, people listen and respect what I have to say. I just need to learn and find freedom from letting the reactions of social media define me. My friends refused to give me the stereotypical happy birthday Instagram post because they want me to learn that social media does not define my relationships and that they are rooted deeper in trust, love, and accountability. Although that made me swallow my pride, it helped me move toward freedom from the grasp that social media currently has on my pride.

Directed Outcome #2 I want to relinquish the control that social media has on my life.

Development*Activities*

Resources*and*Support*

Timeline* Potential*Obstacles*

Evidence*of*Progress*

Keep$a$time$log$of$how$

many$minutes$I$spend$on$each$social$media$site.$$

Journal,$stopwatch,$

accountability$partners$

Immediately$for$the$next$3$

weeks.$$$

Forgetting$to$jot$down$some$of$the$time$

spent,$lying$to$myself$to$make$it$seem$not$as$bad$as$it$is.$$

A$journal$full$of$time$spent$through$numerical$evidence.$$

Talk$to$my$discipler$about$why$social$media$has$a$firm$grip$on$my$happiness$$

Journal,$Discipler$$

Every$Thursday$at$

6:30$

Times$available$

changing$and$not$being$able$to$meet.$$

Journaling$and$uncovering$the$

truth.$$

Put$my$phone$away$when$on$busses,$dining$halls,$and$with$people$that$I$care$about.$$

Airplane$mode$on$my$

cellphone,$accountability$partners$

Immediately$ Lack$of$self$control$

Seeing$my$phone$actually$turned$off$when$it$is$supposed$to$

be.$$Go$one$week$without$social$media$to$see$if$I$feel$any$different$

The$delete$button$on$my$IPhone$5s.$$

January$7N14$ A$national$crisis$that$is$all$over$social$media.$

Engaging$news$stories$that$will$entice$me$to$get$back$online$

Not$having$the$applications$on$my$

cellphone.$$

Call$friends,$text$friends$to$

stay$connected.$$

Accountability$partners$$

Immediately$$ No$one$answers$

Call$logs$compared$to$social$media$time$logs.$$

$

Directed Outcome #3 I want to become healthier in order to feel happier

Scientific studies show that our overall happiness is directly correlated to the way that we eat and feel after exercise. Although I am in the healthy weight range, I would like to be healthier by falling down to 133 pounds. Health is very important to me due to the lack of caring from my family. My father has suffered from 2 heart attacks, my grandmother and grandfather have both died from cancer, and my mother is overweight. I never developed healthy eating habits but was just lucky with a faster metabolism that allowed me to stay relatively skinny throughout the years. My weight fluctuates anywhere from 10 pounds in the timeframe of a week which never gives me a clear and accurate description of exactly where I am at. I usually find myself eating very little amounts of healthy food and large amounts of unhealthy food during some seasons of life and then on others when I am trying to lose weight I eat smaller portions in general. Throughout my childhood, I played interactive sports. Whether I was on the baseball field traveling throughout Georgia, or running up and down the field as a soccer midfielder, I always loved playing sports. However in late middle school and early high school my exercise-induced asthma has returned with a vengeance and it makes it extremely painful to work out extensively without an inhaler that I cannot afford due to the lack of health insurance. However this is not an excuse. One problem that I do have is that my schedule between classes, working two jobs, homework, and organizational meetings keep me busy from 8:00 am until 11:00 pm most nights. I honestly cannot find an open window in order to exercise, which simply means I need to cut out something from my life in order to exercise. Healthy eating and exercise combine for healthier euphoria and natural energy, which can help me, get through the day without extensive naps. I want to utilize more of my day by eating healthier and exercising more so that I have natural energy to invest into more people, more projects, and more organizations with more presence. For my last directed outcome, I simply want to find freedom from stress eating and naps by changing my diet and exercise routine. I believe that this will yield more happiness and energy for my life.

Directed Outcome #3 I want to become a healthier person through changing my eating habits

and exercising more intentionally.

Development Activities

Resources and

Support

Timeline Potential Obstacles

Evidence of Progress

Create a nutrition plan while I am on meal plan

UGA Dietarian in Bolton Dining Commons

By December 17th

Her calendar could be full.

By December 17th I have a daily diet plan mapped out before me.

Create an Exercise plan

UGA personal fitness instructors Ramsey or personal gym P90x videos

By January 15th, 2015

No openings in schedule with UGA workers. However, P90x is always available with their guide.

January 15th, 2015 I will have a personal exercise plan to schedule my upcoming months.

Gain a workout accountability partner

Ben Fox, Hayden Chapman, or other person

January 15th, 2015

Someone being unwilling to dedicate time to a schedule to workout alongside of me to hold me accountable

Journal my daily goals and see if I have an accountability partner by January 15th, 2015.

Go grocery shopping for healthy snacks

Google, Publix, Kroger, my mother

Every two weeks beginning January 15th, 2015

The fact that I am broke and that I have very little money to spend on food.

Keep a log of receipts and what I spent on each receipt and compile the list into Healthy v Non Healthy foods.

Buy new tennis shoes

Nike Feb 1st, 2015 Money Whether or not I have new shoes.

!

Take!care!of!myself!by!becoming!healthier,!through!exercise!and!healthier!eating!habits!!

Being!lazy!and!not!wanting!to!exercise!!

Look!at!my!before!pictures!that!I!took!before!my!new!lifestyle!change!and!remind!myself!to!never!go!back.!!

Eating!fattening!foods!because!I!simply!do!not!plan!for!the!right!foods.!!!

Revisit!my!worksheet!from!the!nutrition!and!

get!myself!back!on!track.!!

Having!too!many!activities!to!truly!make!time!to!workout!during!my!busy!weeks.!!

Wake!up!a!half!hour!earlier!in!order!to!make!time!to!exercise!because!I!know!the!true!benefits!of!having!cardiovascular!training.!!

Friends!are!going!to!fast!food!

restaurants!and!Waffle!House!but!I!

can’t!eat!that.!!

Ask!them!to!choose!a!

restaurant!that!will!honor!my!desire!to!be!

healthy.!!

No!time!to!exercise!or!eat!healthy!

Create!an!hourItoIhour!schedule!to!make!sure!I!am!staying!healthy!

Lack!of!money!to!purchase!healthy!food!

Borrow!money!from!parents!or!be!creative!with!how!I!

eat!in!the!dining!hall.!!

Improved!leadership!capacity!due!to!more!confidence!in!physical!appearance!and!more!energy!available!to!pour!into!other!people.!!

More!exercise!=!more!natural!energy!

More!natural!energy!leads!to!less!time!wasted!napping.!!

More!free!time!=!more!time!to!devote!to!things!I’m!passionate!about!

Eating!Healthier!

This!leads!to!more!self!confidence!about!the!way!I!look.!!

Less!time!spent!on!physical!appearance=!!more!time!for!Miracle!

Meeting!with!a!nutritionist!will!lead!me!to!spending!less!time!wasted!in!dining!hall!!!

Healthier!eating!habits!will!lead!to!a!happier!mindset!with!more!energy.!!

Happier!mindset=!lower!stress!