Over the past four years, I have thought a lot abut the meaning and importance of leadership in my life, in my school community and in the world. My interest in leadership began in high school through my involvement in various clubs, establishing projects and participating in class discussions. I began learning more about leadership through practical experience, but also through reading books and articles, communicating with people older than me and listening carefully during speeches and presentations.

It is through various, little experiences like these that we can add bits and pieces of information about subjects of interest, like leadership, to our understandings. While generally acquiring knowledge over time is important, it is through the synthesis of that knowledge that we can draw significant conclusions. Internalizing the information that we pick up throughout life is how we learn tangible things and begin to understand how they apply in the real world.

These are some of the key qualities I've identified in leaders:

1. In the face of adversity, leaders must maintain confidence in their vision and determination to inspire others.

2. When there is no clear pathway forward, leaders must effectively communicate their ideas in order to connect people and create new pathways.

3. Leaders must be innovative and creative in order to translate complex visions into practical action.

4. Upon setback, leaders must forge ahead and maintain a willingness to adapt in order to uncover new pathways.

5. Leaders must be open to connecting and building new relationships people from different backgrounds.

6. Leaders must remain courageous in order to find solutions to challenges.

7. Perseverance requires leaders to be innovative, creative, tireless and understanding.

8. Leaders should seek out opportunities for learning and growth and use those experiences to mobilize others.

Synthesizing acquired bits of knowledge allowed me to draw these conclusions. But, in order to ensure these conclusions don't sit stagnant in isolation, we must reflect on their meaning in the context of our immediate lives and today's social, economic and political climates. Doing so enables us to digest the knowledge, apply it to real life and use it to make a difference.