Turned to Stone

The last few months of job searching have been more fruitful. Not only have I found more potential positions, I have learned a lot about myself, my previous experiences, and where I want to take my career. That leads me to the beginning of this post; I have read a few books on leadership in the last month or so, and in one of the books the author asks “Who is your personal Mount Rushmore?” Who are the people in your life that have inspired you from a leadership perspective? I have put some thought into that question and here is where I have landed (in no particular order):

Okay, so maybe I cheated a little bit by having five instead of four, combining my parents into one.

Coach Setlak

My high school varsity baseball coach

Coach Setlak is now the Athletic Director for another high school, which I think speaks for itself in terms of leadership. He always encouraged us to do our best but got tough when it was necessary. He has a passion for the game that pushed him and, as I found, pushed me too. Sometimes his words were simple, and sometimes they were more. I always felt that he had our best interests at heart and cared about us off the field as well. Plus, he’s a super nice guy.

Mrs. Wagner

My high school English teacher (11th grade and AP English)

Everybody, I am sure, has been asked or has remembered at some point where they were on September 11th, 2001. I was in Spanish class when it happened, but my next hour was spent in Mrs. Wagner’s class. Instead of going through the intended plans for that day’s class, we talked about what was happening and about life. In general, she was very much a teacher who cared about us as individuals and tried to lead us in the right direction. She was often tough on her students, but in a good way. Additionally, I was not involved in student leadership, but she was the advisor for them, which makes a lot of sense in my mind.

Matt Bellace

Founder of CALVIN + HOBBES

I never attended college with Matt, but the student group that he started at Bucknell was a major part of my college experience. I met him while I was in college, heard him speak (he is also a motivational speaker and comedian), and he treated a group of us to dinner on one of his visits. I won’t go into his whole story, but he became a leader in college by starting a group that put on substance-free activities for students. As you might imagine, that is not exactly an easy thing to do on a college campus. CALVIN + HOBBES was what helped me become more social and made my experience at Bucknell so much more than it could have been otherwise. He inspires to reach those natural highs and to have the courage to make a difference.

My Parents

Uh… my parents…

Leadership skills are not only found in the office or speaking to the masses. My parents, of course, are probably the main reason I am who I am today. They were the leaders of our family unit growing up and were there to be goofy with us and to comfort us in times of sadness. They encouraged us, supported us, and taught us. I say this all in past tense, but they are still there for us and as goofy as ever :) In addition to the family unit, I know that my dad was a good leader in the office. He is fair, energetic, and brings a sense of humor that can set his team at ease – or make them groan. As for my mom, I remember going to pick up my tux for prom, when she stepped in and broke up a fight between some of my classmates. When they said “I do” they “became one” and so maybe I didn’t cheat after all.

Who is on your Mount Rushmore?