“I was here. I lived. I loved.” These are the words of Beyonce in her famous song called “I Was Here”. It basically states that Beyonce wants to have an impact and really influence the world before she leaves. She wants to have done something that will leave a mark on the world and change the world. “Change the future. Change the world”- what a cliche. I agree that this is such an overused phrase. However, this phrase is overused because some truth exists behind this phrase. Teenagers have the most potential to “change the future”or at least try, and make an impact on this world, for they are the future generation. We will be the ones living out our lives in this world for just about half a century and we will be the ones to have changed our world before we leave our world. Obama. Winfrey. Ghandi. Martin Luther King, Jr. George Washington. What do all these people have in common? They are all influential leaders to this day.

First of all, what even is a leader? We have fixed traits and characteristics of what a leader should have and strive for, which is not true at all. There should not be a fixed definition of who fits a leader and who doesn’t because everyone has the potential to become one,or to become a better one. High school students should step up and become the leaders of the community and the classroom amongst our friends and family, and even leaders of our own lives. When I say leader, I don’t mean you have to be the President of ASB or Committee Chair of Key Club. Leaders do not have to be outspoken or outgoing. Nor do they need to be smart or be in power. Literally anyone can step up and establish his or her own position as leader.

A great step in finding and positioning yourself as a leader is participating in an organization called California Association of Student Councils (CASC). By joining this organization, it will allow oneself to become involved within the community. Promoting its vision-youth empowerment, CASC holds many conferences, including summer camps. Through this summer camp, youth from all over California will learn to find the leader within oneself. It is a great start to make an impact to the community.