Day 302 - 4/14/11

Well, Leading Edge is officially over, but not without a wonderful celebration. All of us gathered at the Chancellor of LSU's home to have a closing ceremony. The food was wonderful. The Chancellor and his wife were very warm and welcoming. If there was any way to end Leading Edge in an elegant and dignified manner, this event, dare I say, takes the cake. Part of my job for the ceremony was to introduce a special student speaker to share with the participants words of encouragement. For the past couple of days, I thought of what I was going to say to introduce my dear friend Elaine. Elaine was a member of the inaugural class of Leading Edge with myself and in the past year, she has really embraced her role in leadership and has become one of the major players in the LSU student organization community. What I decided to do was somehow be retrospective of all the experiences we have gained through Leading Edge, but challenge the participants to expand their leadership beyond the program. As I was constructing my introduction, a phase just immediately rushed into my mind and it made perfect sense in introducing Elaine.

"Although this is the ending ceremony, let me remind you that this is not the end. This is the beginning of your next ventures into leadership."

That line just flowed out of me through the numerous improvisations I did preparing my speech. At that moment, I relived all the feelings of my experience graduating from Leading Edge. Nervousness. Anxiety. Fear. Hope. Where will I go from here? What impact can I make? Through all the organizations and opportunities I've been a part of since that day, I realize now how sweeping that line. That one line was my drive to being something more on campus. That line inspired me to explore a whole new world of leadership. Being a part of this program for the past two years fully convinces me that everything you gain from it is real. Completely real and worthwhile. To truly receive the most out of Leading Edge, you have to give the most out of yourself. Too many first year students will pass up on this opportunity and it's a shame. But for those who take a leap of faith will find themselves submerged in something really special.

I would like to thank all the facilitators of Leading Edge. Dave, Missy, Courtney, and Whitnee, each of you has grown into being a mentor for me. If I ever need anything advice on where, what, or how to lead, I know you will be there supporting me. To all my fellow peer mentors, I am extremely blessed to know you. Each of you have held me accountable in finding my own leadership. We are a special breed. It's humbling that I got to work with you for the past 12 weeks. And finally, I would like to thank the participants. Thank you for giving the program a chance. Thank you for coming each week and giving me someone to share all my knowledge and experience with. Thank you for continuing to challenge me every week.Thank you for your friendship. I know that each of you will do great things for LSU in the remainder of your college careers.