Keystone Magazine Learning the Keystone Way 2015-2016 EN | Page 60

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W
hen I first
came to
Keystone, I
had told the
then Dean
of Students,
Wendy Bradley, that student
leadership development was
what I was keen on. Although
since then, I have taken on sev-
eral projects and responsibilities,
student leadership continues to
be a priority for me.
Student leadership at Keystone
is very interesting. There are no
predecessors for any potential
student leader to look up to,
and our most senior student
group in the school’s inaugu-
ral year was grade 9. In most
schools, it is typically the seniors
in grades 11 and 12 that pos-
sess the maturity and skills to
lead a student body. So what
can the first Student Council at
Keystone do?
Apparently, a lot! I have learnt
over the years that leadership
often shows up under pressure,
or when one least expects it.
Many people believe in the no-
tion of a born leader. But I like to
58
believe that whether people are
born to be leaders or not, they
need someone to nurture them,
and help them better under-
stand their own strengths and
weaknesses. Without guidance
and mentorship, leadership
qualities can remain hidden for
years and sadly sometimes, re-
main buried.
Adolescence, in my opinion, is
the best time for this personal
development. No one can say
for sure who he or she is, and
that gives us room for develop-
ment. Many students believe
that the only leadership posi-
tion worth running for is the
presidential one, but this is not
true! A true leader recognizes
that leadership can emerge
anywhere, and does not need
a title to prove it. A true leader
also knows that he or she is just
a person like any other who
lives by the values that he or
she believes in, regardless of the
title.
Based on these beliefs, my co-
advisor, Amanda Shen and I
helped to nurture and guide
the first Student Council. There
were mistakes along the way.
We had to remind ourselves
about just how young they
were, and how challenging it
may be for the students to be
mature and responsible at the
same time. But, these amazing
students rose to the challenge.
As they learnt and experienced
more about leadership, they
began to realize the uniqueness
of Keystone, and the kind of
responsibilities future Student
Council Presidents would have.