Adversity

Throughout my life there have been many activities that have influenced me. Some of my activities range from sports to community service. These activities I had to learn how to adjust to. There is one aspect in my life that would not be evident in my record. It has influenced and changed me as a person in many ways. It has allowed me to take the best and worst of myself and make it better. During my two years in Civil Air Patrol I have broadened my understanding about the world and its systems because of the choices I have made. When I was just a Cadet Basic I wanted to be a leader right then! I came to realize with the help of my commonsense and my leaders that I had to become a follower before I was ready to lead. I learned that “followership” was defined as reaching a specific goal while exercising respect for authority, a positive attitude, integrity, and self discipline. With that I understood that all leaders are followers. As I progressed up through the program and its echelons, I took my innate leadership abilities and the skills I learned to become a successful leader and shaped myself into a respected leader. To this day I am a Cadet Chief Master Sergeant/1st Sergeant, about to become a Lieutenant. During my first summer in Civil Air Patrol I decided to push myself to the limits. I saw a life changing experience that I could learn a new thing every time I did it. I started training for Arizona’s only Civil Air Patrol Ground Search and Rescue team (GSAR). I quickly learned the basics and joined the team as a Ground Team Level 3 (GT3). Throughout the year until the next summer I practiced and practiced. The summer finally came and with all of my survival skills I decided to take a Wilderness/Disaster Relief First Responder course in Indiana. This was the toughest time of my life as I went through learning my body’s limits, mentally and physically. After this I took my GSAR training to the many new levels. I took an advance