Leadership essay Anonymous

Up down, up down - my left leg bounced vertically in anticipation. My heartbeat accelerated. All I could hear was the announcement of the top teams in the state, who would then qualify to represent CA DECA at the International level competition. “Aaaaaand the fourth place winner is….” It wasn’t my name. “Aaaaaand the third place winner is….” Not my name again. “Aaand the second place winner is….” Maybe I just wasn’t good enough to win. Maybe my countless hours perfecting my presentation and 30 page report didn’t matter. “Aaaand the first place winner is ******.” My jaw dropped and my eyes widened. The 3,000 people in the crowd went wild and as I walked down from stage carrying my first place trophy, still in shock, I was greeted with countless hugs and cheers.

The elation was further enhanced when I realized one of the teams that I mentored had won second place. Less than a year ago, I remember my hesitation with helping them. I had thought, “Should I help my own competition? Should I risk giving away my tips and winning secrets? What if my help gets them to first place?” However, remembering my initial confused days in DECA, I offered private help to many teams in addition to group mentoring in marketing class. Every week, I...