In the summer of 2015, I spent about three hours in a car traveling to the middle of nowhere, Illinois. My destination was a mansion (which I low-key think is haunted) planted in the middle of a cornfield. I was to spend a week in this mansion, in the middle of cornfields, with no cell phone service, with five other Drake students and about 35 other college students. This week, this week in the middle of cornfields and what not, is what we call Leadershape. A week of what I can say was the most life-changing, beautiful seven days of my life.
I was greeted into this mansion by smiling facilitators and students. That first day was full of ice breakers, learning about the basic concepts of leadership and getting to know each other along with getting comfortable with what was going to be our home for the next six days. I'll be honest, I sort of wanted to go home after the first day. Little did I know, that a transformation was set in plan. The next day we met our "family cluster," a conglomeration of six or seven other students and a facilitator. We got to learn about our stories, share thoughts on different issues and watch each other grow over the course of the next couple of days. I was lucky to get put in a group with some of the most amazing, inspiring individuals ever. They are all motivating, driven and beautiful. This group is what we call "Culture Shock." They are pictured below.
Over the next couple of days, I got to grow with the people around me. We shared our visions we had for the world, engaged in meaningful discussion that challenged each others' ways of thinking, participated in various simulations that showed us what leading with integrity means, and gained relationships. This group, all 30-40 something people that filled the room with their eagerness to commit to change, leadership, etc. was a group that I was shortly able to call my family. Never have I ever had such a quick time opening up about issues that not even my roommates knew about. Never have I ever had such a quick time gaining such a strong support system. Never have I ever engaged in such beautiful conversations with people that I grew to know in a short time span.
On the very last day, there was not a dry eye in the room. What was the most beautiful thing we have ever experienced, a week where we just forgot about the harsh realities of the world and lived in this "perfect" society was over. We needed to part our own ways. However, it wasn't the fact that we needed to leave that made me cry (although that was extremely hard). The fact that I was no longer going to be surrounded by such amazing individuals who I could engage with on such a deep level was what made me cry. The fact that I had to go back to the "real world." The fact that this group of people that I quickly was able to call my "family" weren't going to be the first people I see every day. (Excuse me while I go grab a tissue.)
So, here's to Day 7. Here's to you, #ILInstitute2. Thank you for being some of the most beautiful people I have ever met. Thank you for challenging my ways of thinking. Thank you for making me a better person. Thank you for the support you continue to give me to this day. Thank you. I cannot wait to see all of the amazing things you guys are going to do and how much ass you're going to kick along the way. I love you all so much.
