Mission Statement
@ Norway
Hi everyone I am Sandy, currently a junior
student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I came to the States
from China in 2008 and I have been studying accountancy & finance for
almost three years. To help myself better adapt to the western culture, I
decided to join the Illinois Leadership Certificate Program in 2009.
My initial goal is to enhance my leadership skills, which has been regarded as the most important skills to have for the future career. During these two years, I have developed strong leadership skills via four I-programs, two academic leadership courses and extracurricular team activities. Through various kinds of leadership conferences, networking with mentor and learning leadership knowledge in classes, I have further improved my self-awareness, found and practiced my core values in the college life. Especially the I-programs have helped me recognize my strengths and weaknesses, and encouraged me to become the best person I can be in my life.
In short, this brilliant Illinois Leadership Certificate Program has not only enriched my campus life, but also led me to my professional career path. Now I am about to graduate with the leadership certificate, but I will cherish my unique experiences with peers and my coach; and be sure to practice the skills I have learned in the rest of my life.
Leadership to me
People are not born to be leaders. From the program I learned for the first time that leadership is universal. Anyone who is interested in making a positive impact can become a good leader. As a college student, I have exercised my leadership skills in many situations. In my view, leadership is a process whereby one individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. From my experiences, I am the co-founder and Vice President of my own RSO and have been on the executive board for 2 semesters. I was the project manager of 2009 I-Help volunteer event. I organized fundraising and social events in the Finance Club; I have successfully joined the Illinois Business Consulting team, where I attempt to make positive impact on the clients I served. I have also had exciting study-abroad experience in Europe. After graduation, I won’t stop challenging myself in work areas. From leading a small team to leading a large company, I will carry on the spirits of Illinois philosophy of leadership and strive to become the best leader in the future.
Role Model
My father has always been an impressive role model for me throughout my life. Although he never directly teaches me how to be a leader, his intelligence in problem solving and human skills always influenced me subconsciously. He has been working for IBM China for more than ten years and he still has high motivation and passion towards his job. He tried different departments and right now is dealing with co-operation with a partner company. I am always excited when hearing him talking on the phone, coordinating with different people to settle the contract. I was amazed by how his friendly-style leadership worked so well in communicating with team followers. From quite a young age, I have determined my mind to become an influential and effective leader like my father.
As a student at U of I, it is extremely important to keep seeking leadership opportunities, such as running a certain position in a student club and organizing events. With more and more hands-on leadership experience, you will stand more of a chance to get a good intern and a good start up company full time offer upon graduation.
My initial goal is to enhance my leadership skills, which has been regarded as the most important skills to have for the future career. During these two years, I have developed strong leadership skills via four I-programs, two academic leadership courses and extracurricular team activities. Through various kinds of leadership conferences, networking with mentor and learning leadership knowledge in classes, I have further improved my self-awareness, found and practiced my core values in the college life. Especially the I-programs have helped me recognize my strengths and weaknesses, and encouraged me to become the best person I can be in my life.
In short, this brilliant Illinois Leadership Certificate Program has not only enriched my campus life, but also led me to my professional career path. Now I am about to graduate with the leadership certificate, but I will cherish my unique experiences with peers and my coach; and be sure to practice the skills I have learned in the rest of my life.
Leadership to me
People are not born to be leaders. From the program I learned for the first time that leadership is universal. Anyone who is interested in making a positive impact can become a good leader. As a college student, I have exercised my leadership skills in many situations. In my view, leadership is a process whereby one individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. From my experiences, I am the co-founder and Vice President of my own RSO and have been on the executive board for 2 semesters. I was the project manager of 2009 I-Help volunteer event. I organized fundraising and social events in the Finance Club; I have successfully joined the Illinois Business Consulting team, where I attempt to make positive impact on the clients I served. I have also had exciting study-abroad experience in Europe. After graduation, I won’t stop challenging myself in work areas. From leading a small team to leading a large company, I will carry on the spirits of Illinois philosophy of leadership and strive to become the best leader in the future.
Role Model
My father has always been an impressive role model for me throughout my life. Although he never directly teaches me how to be a leader, his intelligence in problem solving and human skills always influenced me subconsciously. He has been working for IBM China for more than ten years and he still has high motivation and passion towards his job. He tried different departments and right now is dealing with co-operation with a partner company. I am always excited when hearing him talking on the phone, coordinating with different people to settle the contract. I was amazed by how his friendly-style leadership worked so well in communicating with team followers. From quite a young age, I have determined my mind to become an influential and effective leader like my father.
As a student at U of I, it is extremely important to keep seeking leadership opportunities, such as running a certain position in a student club and organizing events. With more and more hands-on leadership experience, you will stand more of a chance to get a good intern and a good start up company full time offer upon graduation.
Core Values
Core values are the most important guides and
beliefs that motive one’s decision and actions. Those are the principals that
one should act upon repeatedly and talk about publicly.
I consider my top core value to be personal development. My three supporting values are adventure, achievement and family happiness. I feel like the most important thing to do in my life is to develop my potential to the most and be the best person I can be. I enjoy both the happiness and pain on my way of pursuing my dreams. Personal development is the process of continuous learning and growing. I value the knowledge I learned in college and the experience I gained from activities and work. As stated in the Skill Approach, individual attributes, especially the crystallized cognitive ability, are the intellectual abilities learned over time, which contribute greatly to leadership outcomes.
Each of the supporting core values is a benefit to me as a leader. First, taking adventures is a great part of my personal development. For example, studying all the way abroad in America is challenging and risky for me. But the adventurous experience helps me gain more courage and independence in fulfilling leadership goals. Second, achievement is important for leaders too. The goal of leading is to achieve success and meanwhile, achievement motivates you to be a greater leader in the future. Last but not least, family happiness is what I value most in my personal life. Families and friends are the ones I live and grow up with together. The loving attachment with those I care about makes me strong and secure in heart.
I consider my top core value to be personal development. My three supporting values are adventure, achievement and family happiness. I feel like the most important thing to do in my life is to develop my potential to the most and be the best person I can be. I enjoy both the happiness and pain on my way of pursuing my dreams. Personal development is the process of continuous learning and growing. I value the knowledge I learned in college and the experience I gained from activities and work. As stated in the Skill Approach, individual attributes, especially the crystallized cognitive ability, are the intellectual abilities learned over time, which contribute greatly to leadership outcomes.
Each of the supporting core values is a benefit to me as a leader. First, taking adventures is a great part of my personal development. For example, studying all the way abroad in America is challenging and risky for me. But the adventurous experience helps me gain more courage and independence in fulfilling leadership goals. Second, achievement is important for leaders too. The goal of leading is to achieve success and meanwhile, achievement motivates you to be a greater leader in the future. Last but not least, family happiness is what I value most in my personal life. Families and friends are the ones I live and grow up with together. The loving attachment with those I care about makes me strong and secure in heart.
