Overcoming Struggles (Interview)
Leadership Exploration Essay Assignment
For this specific assignment, I chose a friend whom I 've admired the five years I 've known her for. What attracted us from one another was the similarity in our attitudes and we knew from the first day when we spoke that we would get along very well. This is one of the reasons why I decided to interview her for my assignment. Betty and I have a similar personality and drive; we both have lived similar situations where our lives have been exposed to danger and a lot of hurt, yet, we’ve refused to use them as excuses to not move forward and achieve the success we want for us and our children.
This friend of mine grew up watching her dad beat up her mom every time he was under the influence of alcohol. She suffered domestic violence in her own relationships and practically raised her three kids on her own. Her primary language is Spanish, so she greatly struggled with her English and some of her teachers and bosses were racists, who constantly humiliated her for her pronunciations and her dark-skinned complexion. This amazing woman’s name is Betty.
Betty was the first and only one in the history of her entire family to attend college and obtain a degree. She always knew she would be a leader someday because of her boldness to “rescue” all those who were bullied in school. She also would interrupt the many fights between her parents by confronting them and telling why their behavior was wrong. Today, she works as a Caseworker defending and protecting the rights of children who are living in circumstances that are unfavorable. She is very much happy with her schedule, as she can choose where to work, whether it’s in her office or from home. She plans accordingly the home visits she needs to make a week in advance, that way it does not conflict with her personal schedule. I asked Betty how would her boss describe her work performance and Betty replied without hesitation: “She would say that she hands me the most difficult
For this specific assignment, I chose a friend whom I 've admired the five years I 've known her for. What attracted us from one another was the similarity in our attitudes and we knew from the first day when we spoke that we would get along very well. This is one of the reasons why I decided to interview her for my assignment. Betty and I have a similar personality and drive; we both have lived similar situations where our lives have been exposed to danger and a lot of hurt, yet, we’ve refused to use them as excuses to not move forward and achieve the success we want for us and our children.
This friend of mine grew up watching her dad beat up her mom every time he was under the influence of alcohol. She suffered domestic violence in her own relationships and practically raised her three kids on her own. Her primary language is Spanish, so she greatly struggled with her English and some of her teachers and bosses were racists, who constantly humiliated her for her pronunciations and her dark-skinned complexion. This amazing woman’s name is Betty.
Betty was the first and only one in the history of her entire family to attend college and obtain a degree. She always knew she would be a leader someday because of her boldness to “rescue” all those who were bullied in school. She also would interrupt the many fights between her parents by confronting them and telling why their behavior was wrong. Today, she works as a Caseworker defending and protecting the rights of children who are living in circumstances that are unfavorable. She is very much happy with her schedule, as she can choose where to work, whether it’s in her office or from home. She plans accordingly the home visits she needs to make a week in advance, that way it does not conflict with her personal schedule. I asked Betty how would her boss describe her work performance and Betty replied without hesitation: “She would say that she hands me the most difficult
Bibliography: Stern, Rose. “The Biography of Dr. Maya Angelou”. Biography.com. 2012 Angelou, Maya. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”.1970. Print.