leadership

[thami]

I'm hoping I could get some input regarding leadership experience. I've had a good, steady role in my community as a leader for children and youth for years. I started at 13 and continued that role through high-school--I then stopped doing so for the first two years of university to get involved with autistic children and their therapy.

The summer after my second year I realized I missed my involvement in the community and went back--this time as part of daycamps. The fall of my third year I really got into research, and so I made the decision to not return to my work in the community. Instead I've stayed with the lab.

 

I know I am human and that my interests will change with time, and that I cannot keep doing all the activities I want. However, would the "leadership" aspect of my application/NAQ be diminished by the fact that I was a community leader for 7+ years but then stopped? I still have opportunities to mentor individuals through my other activities (eg. training new volunteers, students), but these opportunities are sparse and relatively minor to other duties I have to perform.

 

~thami

[medisforme]

from what you have written, i'd say that is more than enough leadership experience to put on your application. seven years is stellar i'd say and probably a lot more than the average applicant. besides, switching to a lab is not going to make or break your application either way, so (and this has been mentioned at nauseam on this forum) do what you most enjoy doing.

 

ps.

do you know if you are allowed to use your employment as leadership experiene or does it have to be volunteer (ie. i don't think it is recommended to use employment experiences on the EC section)? I really only have 1-2 things to write on that section outside of my employment where I did have a leadership role.

[GatewayMD]

you were a community organizer like obama!

[kgmed23]

do you know if you are allowed to use your employment as leadership experiene or does it have to be volunteer (ie. i don't think it is recommended to use employment experiences on the EC section)? I really only have 1-2 things to write on that section outside of my employment where I did have a leadership role.

 

I only used one of my work experience as part of my EC list last year. I described how the employment experience fit under the particular category (self-adversity).