Leadership, to me, is less about titles and more about creating environments where people can thrive together. My journey across athletics, volunteering, and research reflects this belief.
Coaching in the Pool
As a U12 water polo coach, I transformed my experiences as a national-level player into lessons for younger athletes. I introduced initiatives like “Duo of the Week” awards, one-on-one mentorship sessions, and team-building events. The result wasn’t just improved performance, it was a tightly knit group that trusted each other in and out of the pool.
Leading Online Communities
During the pandemic, I founded and continue to manage a French-learning Discord community with over 2,000 members worldwide. Leading such a diverse group has taught me how to mediate conflicts, encourage collaboration, and design systems that sustain themselves over time.
Driving Research Forward
In the biomedical engineering lab, leadership meant curiosity-driven initiative. I wasn’t just running experiments; I designed 3D bacterial culture platforms and presented findings that challenged conventional methods. Leadership in research is about asking the right questions and inspiring others to do the same.
Conclusion
Leadership, whether through coaching, community-building, or research, has been my way of building beyond boundaries. It’s about bringing people together to achieve more than they thought possible.