Rising Stars

Rising Stars helps young leaders develop skills, like forming long and short term goals, and strategies to achieve them. Here are some reflections from students at St. Joan Antida High School.

Motivating others is hard because if someone just does not care, what can you do if they really aren’t trying? Motivating others takes patience and it takes courage because you want them to almost feel how you feel about this task that you must do.

Evaluating your progress is for

each and every person to do their share of work.  When everybody does their short term goal, step by step, progress will be made. Then you will develop your long-term goal – to finish your project.

Team work: When you’re a leader, you have to be able to work with others of different cultures and religions.  You also have to be able to respect people for different the personalities and talents that they may have. When you’re leading a group, you have to not “be in you’re your own skin” and have to be open to everyone and every idea people bring to you.

Communication is very important to a leader because people depend on that leader, and how he or she explains things, physically or verbally.

Frustration: When I’m working in a group, I get frustrated because I don’t know whether I’m doing things the right way.  I just feel in a hurry, and it frustrates me even more. You have to listen to your leader(s), even when you don’t know if they are always right or not.

You have to know how to problem solve because there are many issues these days that need solutions. Once you have a solution, you have to be sure it will benefit many, and not just some.

Persistence is needed to finish a long term goal. A leader has to be persistent when dealing with all the obstacles that come up. You have to make it worth the effort for you and for others.

Being a leader means you have to overcome obstacles.  Being motivated plays a key role in this.  A leader will keep going whatever is thrown their way. That person will fall off the horse but get back on!

In order to be a good leader, sharing your vision is a great part of what you must accomplish with your followers.  Being able to communicate is necessary in order for followers to understand the vision of the leader.

Short term goals can help me in life because I need to prepare for my future, which is my long term goal. How I prepare for college (long term goal) is by getting good grades and being money wise (short term goals).  Then I will have a better chance to get into the college of my choice. (And I am still going to need some money to spend on the side!)

Click here to read the reflections of St. Joan Students regarding the lessons of the Christian Practices from Way to Live.