“The leader who is formulating and advocating change is like Oscar Wilde’s visionary: “A dreamer….one who can find his way by moonlight, and see the dawn before the rest of the world.” The leader is the young Parsifal, returning from his psychic quest-a trip to his imagination-with a boon, a new dream.” (Pearce & Komisar, 2013, p. 144)
During my life in the foster care (6 years), on the final day of school, when I was graduating from the 9th grade, I was getting ready to take the class photo. Everyone already knew what they would do after the 9th grade, some of them decided to stay in school for further education, and others thought they would be better off in vocational school, learning about computer science, electronics, construction and similar degrees.
I was considering my options for long time and even though I was already thinking about going to University with the years to come, my foster mother, Valya, made sure to land my head from the clouds to the ground:
“University is only for the rich kids…it’s no place for you, and even if your final decision would be to go to University, they wouldn’t let you…You don’t have knowledge or money for that…”
She broke my dreams to shreds solely with using her words, and I couldn’t help myself not wondering what she could do to someone if she really tried. But I continued to dream that one day I will go to the university and get the degree I want.
Years later I graduated with two Bachelor degrees in science from two different universities and now I am getting my MBA degree from the University of Utah. I had a clear vision that came with my dream as to what I want to do with my life in the future. I obviously wanted to be successful and continue making my dreams to become reality.
“George Bernard Shaw, speaking as an Irishman, summed up an approach to life, ‘Other people, he said, see things and say why? But I dream things that never were and I say, why not?” (Reenberg, 2009) I lived my life as a dreamer who envisioned the future for myself and who has repeatedly said “…why not?” Those dreams became the reality. Today, through education, personal experiences and vision, I am preparing myself to live as a leader continuing to “dream things that never were” and “…say, why not?” (Reenberg, 2009)
Pearce, T., & Komisar, R. (2013). Leading Out Loud: A Guide for Engaging Others in Creating the Future (3d Edition ed.). San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
Reenberg, H. (2009, March 09). John F. Kennedy in Dublin, Ireland, June 28th 1963 (Part Two). (H. Reenberg, Compiler) Retrieved June 20, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ADeazX9blw
