Amanda Arnold
E328-P2A
Fulfilling Goals and Becoming a Leader
“Whether I shall
turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether the
station will be held by anybody
else, these pages must show.”[1]
My passion for literature, inspired by my role-model C. S. Lewis, has
greatly influenced my path in life. It guided me toward pursuing a higher education at the
In
pursuing my goals I must first jump the hurdle of graduating UT with a high GPA.
I will apply to many graduate schools across the country, and although I’d be
happy to be accepted to any one of the acclaimed universities across the nation,
I hope I will be accepted at UT here in
I’ve noticed
that some of C.S. Lewis’ good characteristics are similar to the qualities of a
good leader. But what defines a good leader in my opinion? When I think of what
a effective leader should be, people like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King
Jr., Emmeline Pankhurst, and Franklin D. Roosevelt come to mind. These people
represent good leaders because each displayed certain qualities like
compassion, conviction, courage, and the ability to inspire others. 
[4]Figure 1: Mother Teresa with a baby.
Mother Teresa
seems to exemplify compassion more than the others in my opinion. She was a
Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity, traveled the world
helping the poor and sick, and won the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian
work. Although I can’t see myself renouncing my worldly possessions and
becoming a nun, I know that I can follow Mother Teresa’s example in my own way
by help others. I will try to have patience, understanding, and compassion for my pupils and my peers when I
am a professor. From experience as a student, I know that an approachable and
understanding professor can help students be more comfortable in class and
encourage them to learn.
While compassion is vital to leadership, it is equally important for a
leader to have convictions and principles to follow and defend. Martin Luther
King Jr. and Emmeline Pankhurst both
fought for civil rights with great conviction and strength of character. It was
Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream achieve equality of rights for people of all
races. He gave many inspirational speeches, was arrested for his activism,
received the Nobel Peace Prize, and was assassinated for his beliefs. 
[5]Figure 2: Emmeline Pankhurst being arrested.
Another great leader, Emmeline Pankhurst, was one of the founders of the British suffrage
movement who led hunger strikes and was arrested several times for her cause.
Both of these leaders helped change the world for the better by sticking to
their principles and their struggles still inspire people today. In fact they
inspire me to defend my principles and influence the government, even if it’s a
small step like voting. I will strive to write with conviction and send an
inspirational message to my readers or students.
Another quality that is apparent in my role-model, C. S. Lewis and a
leader like President Franklin D. Roosevelt is courage. Both these men fought
bravely for their countries. 
[6]Figure 3: Franklin D. Roosevelt Not only did Roosevelt go to war, he also battled with an illness that
left him in a wheel chair, and he led the country through the Great Depression
and World War II. Even though I won’t be fighting in a war for my country, I
will need courage to handle hardships in my personal life, succeed in my
professional life, and become a leader and professor. In order to be more courageous
I will need to stand up for my beliefs even though I may be scared of the
consequences. These great men and women were considered leaders by the whole
world for their leadership skills, and strength of character. If I want to
become a leader someday, I will need to work to change myself a day at a time.
It is important to reform my unacceptable habits and my defective characteristics in order to become a leader, because “If we’re only seeing one part of the picture about ourselves, positive or negative, that’s all we’ll be able to make real to anybody else.”[7] Since I was in high school I’ve had problems with my lack of good study habits and my tendency to procrastinate when I had homework assignments. Soon after I came to UT, I realized that these bad habits were not only harmful to my grades but also detrimental to my plans of being accepted to a good graduate school. I have improved my study skills immensely and now I study throughout the few days prior to a test instead of cramming the night before. I still have difficulty sometimes with my tendencies to procrastinate when it comes to writing papers, but I have realized “I don’t like work—no man does—but I like what is in work—the chance to find yourself.”[8] Although I don’t always enjoy writing paper or essays, there is sometimes a lesson learned from the work I put into them.
Disorganization is another fault that I will need to change if I am going
to achieve my goals. While in college I have realized that no professor will
repeatedly remind me about an upcoming assignment or paper. Also, my parents
aren’t here to scold me for not doing my homework or encourage me to study for
a test. Not only have I realized how important organization, not only through
my classes, but through my acting troupe as well.
[9]Figure 4:Me with the director setting up for the performance
of our play at
This semester, I
volunteered to be assistant director for a musical. I decided to be an
assistant director this semester instead of an actor to better acquaint myself
with the organization and work that goes into directing a play. This experience
will help me prepare for directing a play next semester. Through this
experience and organization I will be able to keep track of my homework
assignments, be punctual to job interviews, and be able to manage my classes more efficiently in
the future.
The most inhibiting flaw in my character is my low self-esteem. 
[10]Figure 5: Me with low self-esteem. I have doubts about my
intelligence, my appearance, and my abilities as a student and a writer. While
at UT, I have struggled against my own low expectations of my grades and my
fear of failure. It is this same self-doubt that contributes to my
procrastination. When I sit down to write, my ideas seem inadequate. Upon
finally finishing a paper, I am always disappointed with the outcome. I will
continue to improve my skills as a writer in my classes, and when I sit down to
write I will remind myself to “Produce! Were it the pitifullest infinitesimal
fraction of a Product, produce it!”[11] Changing
my bad habits and fixing my flaws along with emulating the good qualities of
the leaders I mentioned, will serve as the first steps
toward my ultimate goals: becoming a more competent professor, transforming
myself into a more confident writer, and developing my skills as a leader.
“There is always an inertia to be overcome in
striking out a new line of conduct”[12],
and it won’t be easy to rid myself of my bad habits and overcome my lack of
self-esteem. But if I have the courage to hold true to my convictions and show
compassion just as great leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa
did, I can inspire others too. Now that I have set goals for my future, I have
recognized my flaws, and I have realized what qualities I need to emulate, I
can work to become a good leader. My time at UT will help me with organization,
time-management, confidence, and character development. Through dealing with
the demanding courses, expanding my knowledge, and overcoming hardships to come
I will become a stronger, more capable person. More importantly, while passing through this
gateway to the real world, I will mold myself into a leader and, as a result, a
good professor.
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