Leadership

Project Manager, VitaClick

I joined and extensively worked for a project known as VitaClick my sophomore year. By junior year, I was chosen to be this year's Head of Project Development of VitaClick. I had 4-6 people working under me (depending on the trimester). As VitaClick is a project which has an engineering, a chemistry/nanotechnology research, and a business analysis aspect to it, I strived to understand every member's skills and interests in order to properly delegate responsibility. Taking these factors into considerations and each member's personal preferences, I determined which proper steps to take to ensure the success of the VitaClick. I made and continue to make decisions involving the direction in which to take this project and the time and energy allocated to each idea and each segment of the VitaClick.

Creative Director, Philosophy Club

I joined philosophy club my freshmen year. I remember my first meeting; we decided to warm up by discussing the meaning of life. From that day, every Tuesday morning which I possibly could, I have attended the philosophy club.

I became the creative director my sophomore year, and have remained in that position since then. It is perhaps the most imaginative position I hold; every week, I come up with potential topics of discussion for the club. Though most days, we quickly move off topic, it is great to guide the subject matter and the direction in which a dozen great minds ponder profound question.

My favorite part was always choosing the topic. Exploring the grand questions which have puzzled the most awesome philosophers; and especially thinking of the small ones, those which seem unimportant, which no one has cared to ask, is what I truly look forward to every week.

Project Manager, Aqua Monitoring System

Yes, it's true; this is a one-man operation. Some may say that this disqualifies it from being a leadership position. I disagree. Though I am one of the most handsome, intelligent, and modest people I know, I am also one of the most difficult to manage.

But truly, this position is one of the most important which I have held so far. Though I was as motivated as can be, this project really taught me how to plan out my actions in the long-term. It taught me real, hands-on time management skills. This project was my project; I would wake up in the middle of the night with a new idea and immediately write it down to not forget it. I would saw and paint and laugh and cry.

Treasurer, Charity: Water Club

At BCA, there is a wide variety of student-run morning clubs, or clubs which run before homeroom, which we have the option to join. Many of them are charity clubs.

I joined BCA Charity: Water to give back a little to the world. It is hard to imagine that, in the midst of the invention of revolutionary technology, more people die because of a lack of clean water than because of all forms of violence. The best part about Charity: Water is that the money raised is donated directly to one specific project in a place where accessing clean, drinkable water is problematic. Usually, the project is building a well or a better system of transporting water.

As a treasurer, I kept tabs on internal revenue and profit and loss (P/L) for the club as a whole and for every member separately during individual fundraising. We are well (pun not intended) on our way to getting enough funding to build a well in Angola.

I was able to use my financial analysis to help move the club in the most profitable and hence most charitable direction. Overall, this experience has given a small glimpse into the immense world of finance.

Debate Coach, Bergen County Debate club

Whether it is with my father at the dinner table or with a fellow student at the Junior Statesmen of America program, I enjoy debate. I pursued an internship at the Bergen County Debate Camp, where I coached twenty elementary and middle school children in the intricate art of public speaking. I felt confident that I had the knowledge and the skills to teach some of the techniques which I have learned through extensive public speaking. When the children started, some of them refused to speak in front of others altogether. The children learned to speak in both a one-to-one format, as required for interviews, and in front of a group of people.

Interestingly, I believe I learned a significant amount about public speaking and debate myself through teaching the children; explaining how to properly voice an opinion helped me see my own strengths and weaknesses. Over the two week summer program, the children evolved spectacularly. They learned to stand up straight, to look others in the eye, and to speak slowly and clearly, yet with an enthusiastic emphasis on what is important. This drastic change alone made this internship worth the effort.

By far the most beautiful part of this internship, however, was seeing the thought process that goes through the minds of these children. Many of them had no political affiliations- and some of them didn't know what political parties are, for that matter- and hence were able to truly approach debates in an unbiased ways. Those who did share the politics of their parents did not hesitate to be convinced by strong arguments. I think and I hope that this experience has made me more open to new and different ideas.

After the internship, I was offered a paid permanent position at the Bergen County Debate Club. Though I was not able to accept because of time constraints, I look forward to being a debate coach again next summer.