Ever since I was younger, I've been driven to motivate my peers.

I started to
develop a strong confidence in myself and have been determined to inspire that
same confidence in those around me. In the last few years, I've worked on myself
to become a strong, level-headed, and introspective leader who will positively
impact his community for years to come.

I haven't always been confident though. In my freshman year of high school, I

decided to enter an annual amateur Hackathon. A Hackathon is a timed event,
typically taking place over 48 hours, in which programmers form small teams and
collaborate on an interactive project. The aim is to design and present the most
innovative solution to a problem, and then pitch a final concept to a panel of
judges.

This was a new experience for me. I was a somewhat timid kid that mostly kept to
himself and wasn't very good with people. Needless to say, being placed in a
team with strangers made me nervous.

As the hours rolled by, we worked on our project. only stopping to attend a
group lunch hosted by the event organizer. It was at that lunch that we were told
that while the first, second, and third-place teams would receive accolades,
amazing prizes, and have the chance to present their projects to a panel of
judges, there was one more accolade to be given: The Most Valuable Coder.

This accolade was reserved for the coder who displayed excellent leadership
qualities such as team motivation, work delegation, problem-solving, and
communication. Regardless of what your team placed, The Most Valuable Coder,
or "MVC" would receive the greatest prize of all.

I wanted it, but how was someone like me going to lead a team? I knew that I
needed to work on myself, but I wasn't even comfortable voicing my ideas for the
project. Long story short, I wasn't the most valuable coder that year... My team
didn't even place in the top three.

When the event was over, I watched the winning teams and "MVC" get their
prizes. That day stoked something inside of me. I decided that, like them, I would
be at the top. My goal was to come back the following year and achieve a top-
three spot or be recognized as the "MVC".
For 12 months, I dedicated myself to improvement. I participated in more
community events, read about great leaders and practiced introspection. I started
to learn how to effectively communicate ideas to a group, motivate those around
me, utilize their strengths, and listen intently. As the months went by, I got better
and better. I couldn't wait to see the results of my hard work.

Eventually, the day of the event came around and I was excited. When my team
was formed, I introduced myself, learned about my teammates, and suggested
project ideas. I developed confidence in myself which spread to my team, and I
was certain that we would win that year... We didn't even place in the top three.

Needless to say, I was disappointed in myself when the top three teams received
their prizes... Until my name was called. I was the "MVC". The year after that, I
lead my team to a top-three position and was nominated to be the MVC again.

Since then, I've taken the position of a sports coach and role model for the kids in
my community to teach them the value of hard work, dedication, and
responsibility to themselves and those around them. I plan to go much further.

I believe what makes me a leader is my unrelenting drive to achieve my goals and

my ambition to better those around me by bettering myself.