Meaningful Leadership Experience Anonymous

Nearly 80 million members strong, “Gen Y” or the “Millennials” are defined by experts as those born roughly between 1978 and 2000. My generation has been shaped by events like the Columbine Massacre and September 11th, stirred by technological advances in cable television, internet and cell phones and has witnessed new cultural phenomena such as reality television, Starbucks and Facebook. While Gen Y expert, life coach and author, Christine Hassler, claims that my generation has “a sense of entitlement, a need for validation, difficulty in really discerning what to do because [our] whole lives were managed,” she also notes that Millennials are “creative, global-minded, socially conscious, and extremely committed to doing meaningful work.” Though my generation does have its pitfalls, I’ve embraced these positive attributes by contributing to causes that are close to my heart. Through my leadership position on the Tuesday’s Children Junior Board, I have been able to take a generation-defining moment, lend a handful of my Gen-Y traits and give back to my hometown and New York City.

As is the case with most New Yorkers, I will never forget the timeline of events on September 11, 2001. Ten years later, I remember the look on my...