Leadership Examples

As I was reading through the Anthology, I couldn't help but display the envy I have for Tom Jones, a fellow U.T. graduate. He went to "summer school whenever... [he] could"(899). That emphasizes how much love he had for education. I can tell that he took learning learning as a hobby if that's even possible. He enjoyed. He absolutely loved it. He "could scarcely wait for holidays to be over so that... [he] could rush back to campus (899).

Now that I'm in college and have actually had to chance to experience it in a degree, I don't think I would ever be able to have the same mindset as Tom. For him, school was what he loved. He loved to learn. For me, I can't wait it's over because although I have a goal of retrieving a Ph.D., my mindset is wanting to skip the processes of education and just go straight for my intended goal to working as a pharmacist. I often ponder why careers can't be like jobs. Just interview and get in without much prerequisites. Doesn't it seem like Tom and I are just completely opposite personalities? I wish I have the drive like he did. If I did, I bet that would give me so much more discipline and knowledge of the world around me. Reading such a quote basically invoked my ambition to work harder in my undergraduate studies. If Tom can do it, I can too. To me, he is a leader. Just like how the professors Toms speaks of, how they are "hungry to teach, hungry to relearn, hungry to transfer what they knew," I soon will be hungry for knowledge, hungry for education, hungry to be a Longhorn (900).

As I read further, I came across Barbara Smith Conrad, who was a sophomore the University when she was 17. Too me that is such a great accomplishment. At the age of 17, already a sophomore in college. I wish I was like her. Just by these details about her, I know she was an intellectual. To me, I think she relates to me the most out of the rest that I have read about because she "believed "that music is a healer and great bonder" (928). She limelighted that fact that she got close to people because of music. Music helped her develop rich relationships "because of the commonality of interest" (928). I for one am in the same boat as her because my closest friends are the ones that share the same distinct taste in music as I do. I myself love music and tend to usually think to myself why didn't I go into being a music major. Though I've always wanted to, I tend to think of the future. The future that comes that I must make the best choices for. Choices that will affect not only my life, but others such as my family as well.

Citations:

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/clip/coolsummsch.html

http://www.postershop.com/Anonymous/Anonymous-Ambition-5000370.html

http://blogs.voices.com/buzz/2008/07/

The Anthology