I have always considered myself a “leader”. In group projects, I was the first to speak up to get things going and usually wound up delegating tasks. I didn’t dread public speaking, in fact enjoying it—still do. I wasn’t afraid to put myself out there and be the voice for a group. When I got to college, I didn’t think much about what I was going to do with these skills. They had been primarily used within the classroom, and I didn’t think much past that.
Freshman year, I began my first watch of Parks and Recreation. For those of you who may not be familiar, the show centers around Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler), an enthusiastic employee of the parks and recreation department of Pawnee, Indiana. Immediately, I saw myself in this character. Leslie was who I wanted to be.
And so, I learned from her. Leslie is never afraid to take charge of the situation, even when she knows it may not earn her many friends or that people may find her bossy. She knows what she wants, and she is always determined to get it. At the same time, she is caring and selfless. Her friends and her town are her world, and she only wants the best for them, even if it means she must make sacrifices. Leslie is unapologetic about her interests and goals, despite them seeming crazy or weird to other people. She makes compromises when she has to, but not without putting up a hell of a fight first. Leslie comes prepared. Maybe she freaks out when that doesn’t work out for her—but she isn’t afraid to fail. To say I was inspired is an understatement.
Flash forward to today, the spring semester of my senior year. I participated heavily in New Student Orientation and saw firsthand the impact I could make on my fellow students. I became a Writing Center consultant, getting to witness students make progress in their academics. I got a job as an Ambassador, to share my love for my school with others. I joined honors societies and clubs, and made plenty of friends who are as unapologetically themselves as I am. Would I have done this all without ever watching Parks and Rec? Maybe. But through Leslie I gained confidence in myself. She helped light a fire in me that has been a motivator these past three years, and I’m unsure if my college experience would have been the same without it. So thank you, Leslie Knope. I love you.
