Zachry Leadership Program
"Leading for a lifetime builds off of principles, values, and most of all, relationships." - Bailee Allen
Listen, Voice, Suspend & Respect
The Zachry Leadership Program has undoubtedly been the most impactful thing I have been a part of for my personal and inter-personal relationships. From the very beginning, I have always felt a unique sense of pride and love in the program. This pride is not for malicious manners or bragging rights but for the genuine care members have for one another, the instructors, and the program itself. I remember feeling that my life was going to change from this program on my first retreat, and I am proud to say that my 19 year-old self was correct. Over the past two and a half years, I have learned about self-awareness, empathy, creativity, purpose, and leading for a lifetime.
Semester 1: Self-Awareness
The first semester of ZLP was filled with many "Nice to meet you"s and handshakes, but more importantly, it was filled with the first steps to being self-aware. ZLP's first semester gave me a comfortable environment to experience true reflection which proved to be essential to the program's future lessons and my mental health. Out of all the semesters, I feel that this semester and its lessons changed me the most.
Semester 2: Empathy
The second semester of ZLP was a bit of a whirlwind. The COVID-19 pandemic and junior year mechanical engineering coursework proved to be difficult and made ZLP initially go on the backburner. After being overworked and burnt out, I realized that this was the time to turn towards ZLP instead of away from it.
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The pre-semester retreat took lots of effort and intentionality, as social distancing guidelines were still in effect. Despite the new retreat format, I still learned the main lesson of empathy. I learned that empathy is understanding others without necessarily "fixing their problems". To be empathetic is to listen without judgment and ensure that understanding is the only objective.
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This semester's reading was my favorite of the program-provided books: Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown. This book transformed my thoughts on vulnerability and life. This has allowed me to form more in-depth relationships with my peers and live a more genuine life.
Semester 3: Creativity
Semester 3 was the semester I was most fearful of, but it was also the semester I was most excited about. Up until this point in my life, I did not consider myself to be creative. Growing up, I had always been better with numbers and my artwork was never displayed like my two sisters' were.
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This proved to be incorrect as it was revealed that I was always creative, I just did not use the correct avenues to unlock it. Throughout this semester I learned creativity is all around us, not just in the fine arts. Throughout this semester I learned "the artist's way", created a floral arrangement, and most importantly, unlocked a new love in cooking.
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I tried a variety of recipes, some being tasteful, others not so much... I started by following the recipes step-by-step but began to add my own touch every time. I realized the reason I had not started earlier was just fear and laziness. I now try to cook at least three times a week and have become my own favorite cook.
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To the left is one of my favorite assignments, we completed in ZLP. During retreat, we were told to recreate a piece of art we find beautiful and this photo came to my mind. With the help of my roommate, Andres Blanco, I was able to recreate one of the most iconic photos in sports history.
Semester 4: Purpose
Semester 4 was an important semester for me. At the time, my sense of purpose was at an all-time low. I was going into the beginning of my senior year of college without an internship under my belt surrounded by my highly successful peers. Doubts and uncertainty were dragging my self-confidence down greatly.
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In this semester I learned that I was my harshest critic. I was comparing myself to others non-stop to standards that did not fit me. With this knowledge, I was able to reformulate my career goals and work towards them accordingly. Another thing to note is that this was my first semester without FREE, which was a big step. Not having FREE helped me evaluate my personal life and find a sense of purpose when there was no direct task to complete.
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Another item I want to display is my personal quote on leadership I developed on retreat. It helped me and I hope it helps others someday.
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"Purpose is a reason for being, whether you know it or not. It's what you do naturally without aid or explanation. Purpose is not necessarily going to be the same throughout your life because your life changes too. But it will always be similar to a past or future purpose because it stems from your values and goals in life. So overall, know what you value, fulfill your purposes, and live proudly and unapologetically" - Dan Dinh
Semester 5: Leading For A Lifetime
The final semester of ZLP was my favorite. This semester seemed to have combined all the greatest parts of the program into one semester. The retreat was the experience of a lifetime. This retreat brought out the beautiful comradery of our cohort in both lesson time and free time. It was surreal to feel the love of a group of people who had grown exponentially over the past two and a half years. When I looked around I saw 28 faces that used to be strangers but are now some of the closest relationships I have.
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This retreat pushed me to my limits to be honest with myself and face my demons. It is easy to reflect on surface-level items, but it is extremely challenging to confront the deep fears and challenges that we hide in our hearts. This retreat served as a reminder that there will always be challenging items to confront, but we must have the courage to do so.
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During the semester, our cohort read "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". This book revealed things in my life I had never acknowledged before and challenged me to make a change in my life to reach my full potential. This book and its challenges are something I plan to refer to often to be the best version of myself I can be.
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In class, our entire class seemed to have found a sense of rejuvenation. It was very unique to have a class full of people who are "bought into" the unconventional lessons and are open and trusting with one another. Overall, this semester was the culmination of each of the past semester's lessons and the bond our cohort shares with one another. This semester was perfect.