Unfortunately, I tend to be a fairly shy person when offered positions of leadership; I tend to be self-effacing and avoidant of positions that would make me “the center of attention,” in a sense. I want to find a way to change this and to become more comfortable with leadership positions, as I don’t want to limit myself within my future academics or career. Within the next couple years of college, I intend to run for an executive board position for a service-based student organization, so I will both have to speak personally to my own skills and their value within that position, and I will have to acclimate myself to be “the center of attention.” Even if I would fail to achieve the position I run for, I would still be demonstrating comfort — or at least beginning a process of becoming comfortable — with a leadership position.
A regret I am leaving ACES with is that I did not run for the Leadership Committee, simply because I was unsure of myself. That regret should not follow me, and it has taught me that I should pursue goals that align with my imagination and ambition, even if I feel some slight element of self-doubt. This regret has taught me that self-doubt only leads to regret, and that I should not indulge it.