Profiles in LEADership: Meet Hannah Bear

Hello! My name is Hannah Bear, and I am currently a junior at Chopticon High School. I'm an actor, a singer, and a writer. This year, I'm also the Vice President of the International Thespian Society Troupe at our school, which is a group that helps to lead and manage the Theatre department. In the past two years, I was an active member of the Scholars Program at Chopticon, a program that recognizes students in the freshman and sophomore years with a consistent GPA of 3.25 or higher. This past November, I was inducted into the National Honors Society, thanks to the skills I gained from my time at LEAD. 

When I was chosen as a delegate for LEAD 2012, I felt excited and honored. The three-day program on the college campus seemed like a dream come true: tons of workshops with likeminded people, people aimed at helping their community. But once I got there, I figured out that it was so much more than that. It was an opportunity to meet people with the same interests, to work together with a group of people to solve problems and explore possibilities. It was a chance to hone my skills as a leader and to gain new ones to make me a better one. But most of all, it was fun. There were games and bonding actives and tons of exciting things to do. I made friends a lot easier than I thought I would, and those people are still friends of mine today.  

LEAD inspired me to reach for my goals and to become a better leader in my classroom, my school, and my community. LEAD taught me to honor my commitments and to stay true to myself and my values. I was able to apply everything I learned to all the aspects of my life. Not only was it easier to step up and be a leader, it was easier to stay organized, to make a plan and stick to it, to make everything cohesive. My college applications and my resume look fantastic, and I'm much more confident in the skills I have. LEAD was more than a summer camp for me, it was a chance to get myself together. 

This year, I am so excited to reapply for LEAD 2013! While I'll be pretty busy this summer looking at colleges and making plans for my senior year, I'll definitely make room in my schedule to attend the program again. LEAD was one of the highlights of my summer last year, and I expect it will continue to be a great program for anyone that attends.