Leading into Awesome, by Alex

As group leaders of the day Maggie and I decided to paddle the Rio Enco.  I love being leader of the day because I can decide exactly what I want to do and conquer it. The opportunity that Alzar has given me to be a leader has really been an eye opening experience.  I now realize how rewarding leading a group is (not to mention how tiring).  Maggie and my challenge of the day was to be ambassadors to fun.  Without hesitation we rose to the challenge planning charades, flashlight tag, paddling the Rio Enco, and a surprise ninja game during study hours.

While being ambassadors to fun we were also faced with unforeseen obstacles as the river took much longer than expected due to the paddle to get to the river itself and the walk from the river to our car was 1.5 kilometers.  At this point one of our previous leadership lessons came to life as I realized the importance of resiliency.  The group’s attitude would reflect the leaders, and due to our positivity the group successfully trekked on the journey to the trailer.  Once we arrived at our other truck another obstacle was presented as the truck’s battery had died.  Luckily due to the school’s friendship with a local hotel, after asking him for help in Spanish, he agreed and we were soon on our way back to the campsite.  Being leader of the day has taught me how much effort and work is needed just to have one day run smoothly, and now I feel that I can successfully go into the world and conquer any obstacle that comes my way.