Westmont Magazine What Does Leadership Mean to You?

With determination in our eyes and resilience in our steps, Westmont leads. We selected three students, Michael Kong ’21, Will Grubbs ’23 and Iyree Jarrett ’22, for the cover of this issue of the magazine for their leadership and influence on and off campus.

What does leadership mean to you?

G: Leadership means putting the needs of others before myself. It means coming to a place of love and compassion for those I lead and whose positions I want to advance over mine.
K: Leadership is about seeing the value in every voice and finding creative and meaningful ways to bring those voices together. In this way, leadership is less about having power and being in charge of things and more about giving a platform to voices that are often left out so that they can contribute as well.
J: Leadership is all about team performance; everyone has to bring his/her strength and encourage others when you see they need help or a boost. I love bringing that same mentality to all my interactions around Westmont.

What do you enjoy most about how you lead?

K: I enjoy leading when it relies on collaborating with others. This offers many opportunities for me to see all the support I have from my team and community, so when I inevitably start overworking myself, I can always find others who are willing to carry my burdens with me.
J: Collaboration is so important to me. I’m an athlete (women’s basketball) and my teammates and coaches trust me. That is a form of leading where everyone relies on each other so we can all thrive.
G: I love that my leadership style allows me to get to know people on an individual basis and personal level. I love interacting with the other RA’s (resident assistants) and their different leadership styles.

Tell us about the leadership roles you are currently involved in.

J: I give significant time and leadership to my team (women’s basketball). We’ve had a great winning season, and it’s required resilience, commitment and drive! We have a shared goal: to support each other and bring out the best in one another.
K: As the diversity and inclusion senator for WCSA, I support Intercultural Programs and underrepresented voices at Westmont. In a usual year, I would also be playing violin in the Westmont Orchestra and the worship team at Reality Santa Barbara.
G: I am an RA in Emerson Hall section 2! I also enjoy singing with the Ahh-Men a capella group.