"I hope to help others become better servant leaders through the examples I set. Reading about how it works is one thing, but the buy-in comes when you can see the results first hand. When you can empower someone to do their work, most of the pressure is relived and they can do better work as a result. Experiencing this is what grabbed my attention, and I hope to have the same impact on others someday." -- Kevin Bartosek
"My life as a Christian has collided with my life as a career woman. In Mathew 22: 37-39, the Bible says, “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind'...[and] 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'” Jesus is plain and simple in this verse. He puts it right out there: love God, love others. This is what I’m called to do and this is my desire.
It wasn’t until recently that I discovered that this desire and calling from God could be applied to school and work. Growing up in a public school system has taught me the taboos of talking about God in school and in career decisions. Coming to Hope College has slowly broken that taboo, but it wasn’t until this semester and Leadership 201 that the taboo has done a 180. I realized the importance of applying God’s greatest commandment while working in groups and being people-centered. I also realized that loving God, loving people and loving myself works in a cycle: one cannot happen without another." -- Casey Dawson
"As a group, I feel like we have all changed in drastic ways since Leadership 201. We have become more aware of who we are, and our strengths. We have also learned how to use these strengths to impact others. I have realized that I can use my passions and talents to help others. I have learned that the most influential leaders put themselves below others, and focus on others' needs before their own. My values have changed since I was a sophomore in college. When I was reading The Servant by James C. Hunter, I was very interested in the traits he saw in leaders' lives. As I read this list for class, I realized that these are the traits that I would also like to exhibit in my life, and have been more successful with some than with others." -- Christina Tassoni
"Servant leadership, in the few weeks I have learned about it, has become a life changing concept. The articles and books read have impacted my life in an incredible way in such a short period of time. I look at many of my actions in life differently now, especially in leadership situations. I hope to gain insight into myself, so in the future I can better understand and serve others, both as a leader and as a fellow human. Albert Camus once said, “To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.” Some may take this statement to mean people must be concerned with themselves before taking the time to be concerned for others. I understand it to mean, in order to serve others (to find happiness), we must first take the time to know ourselves." -- Samantha Hawke
