Reflective Essay On Pgc Leadership

I was in the middle of evaluating a logarithm when the intercom crackled to life and requested I report to the office. I paused mid equation and navigated to the office to find out why. There were nineteen others there when I arrived. Our faces mirrored looks of befuddlement. Then a teacher walked in with the announcement. I was shocked to learn that I was one of the handpicked few to become a PGC (Peer Group Connection) leader the following semester.
PGC is an extraordinary program at my school in which juniors and seniors are selected to serve as mentors (aka PGC leaders) to the freshmen class. The twenty chosen leaders are split up into boy/girl co-pairs in order to accommodate the incoming class of one hundred and forty kids. Each co-leader pair is in charge of a group of ten to twelve freshmen. We receive a two day orientation before the start of school and then meet every day for first period throughout the semester. We plan and

practice the activities and discussions for our freshmen during class. Then we execute them during homeroom with the kids. Albeit there is no application process, it is not easy to gain admission by any means. Notwithstanding, PGC leaders should remain in good academic standing; however, this is not the chief criteria for admission. The advisors receive recommendations from teachers and evaluate their leadership ability and potential to serve as PGC leaders. By some stroke of luck, I was selected.
It was an honor that I had aspired towards since undergoing the program my freshman year. However, I never anticipated that I would actually be chosen for it. For once, my introverted nature went against me. I was too timid and soft-spoken to lead others, especially in the shadow of my more vocal classmates. I knew that whenever I agreed to accept my position that I would be flung from my comfort zone. I had no idea how challenging it would be to become a PGC leader. I also had no idea how rewarding it would be.
I was only three years older than the kids I was mentoring, but I had no idea how tricky it would be to make a group of fourteen year olds concentrate and self-reflect. Most of our kids had trouble opening up and only seemed to enjoy the hands-on activities. Each activity required a discussion on themes focused on in the practical application. However, the group became bored a few minutes into the reflection. Since the time allotted to our freshmen was confined to homeroom – a twenty minute period – my co-leader and I often ran out of time. To our kids’ credit, the topics in the discussions were not easy. The PGC program eradicated taboos as we talked about the influence of drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, and relationships. I did not understand the difficulty our group had. All of the activities performed during homeroom were practiced during first period with other co-leaders. It worked during first period, so why would it not work with the freshmen?
I realized the significance of time in forming a bond.

Gradually over the semester, the kids began to open up more. My co-leader and I truly invested time inside and out of the classroom. During one of the outreach sessions, a boy who had been labeled as a “troublemaker” by his peers showed up with a heavy backpack. It was not books, however, that were peeking out. Instead, it was clothes. He revealed that his mom had kicked him out of the house after a fight with his dad. The boy packed his items and stayed overnight with a friend. While many people put a label on him, they were unaware of the hardship that he faced at home. My co-leader and I began to learn of the other situations our kids faced. One struggled being in a military family and alienated herself from forming close bonds with others. Another was having difficulty staying close with her family after her brother’s death. There was also one girl who aspired to become a physician like me, but she did not have the support of her family or friends in the

endeavor.
My co-leader and I improved vastly in our outreach sessions with the freshmen. Likewise, the other PGC leaders and I met during first period and worked on our development as well. I vividly remember one of our first activities in which a sheet of paper for every member of PGC was passed around the room. On one side was the heading “strengths” and on the other side was “weaknesses”. Our peers had to evaluate us. I was happy to see the “strengths” column filled with a plethora of positive messages. However, the “weaknesses” side listed the same comment over and over – lack of confidence. I knew that I needed to have more assurance in myself. That was the goal I sought out to achieve that semester.
Being a PGC leader has been the most rewarding experience of my four years in high school. Just as I watched my kids develop, I developed as well. As an aspiring pediatric neurosurgeon, this experience has truly revealed to me the hardships that teenagers face. People are often labeled by the perceptions others hold of them. However, behind closed doors they often struggle with insecurity, loneliness, and family troubles. Being cognizant of this, I now know how susceptible teenagers are to pain and not just physical. I also know how much of an impact I can make with the simple investments of time and concern.