Thank you, Richie!

In high school, everyone is identified by what they do: academics, sports, and/or clubs. For me, it was a combination of those three. I pushed myself academically and I was a swimmer. However, I consider my defining activity to be student government, or Mane Link. Cue the weird looks. Mane Link, at my school, was one of the crucial pieces that made our school exceed and be recognized nationally. It was the best experience that I could have had. I learned so much in the two years that I was heavily involved. Although some of the things that I learned were based on mistakes that I made, I learned the most from the Mane Link sponsor and Assistant Principal, Richie. He was and still is amazing. He put all of his faith, financial and otherwise, in Mane Link. We had a large budget that we had to regulate, plan multiple events to plan, and be leaders in the school.

Now, I say leader, but what does that mean? I don't have an all-encompassing definition and neither did Richie (that I know of). Leader is defined in many ways, however my favorite definition of leadership is "a leader builds more leaders, not more followers." Richie was a leader and, at first, we followed his and the previous year's executive board's direction. Yet, the faith and motivation that he displayed shaped my perspective on my school work, my relationships, my future, and every other part of my life. (I love telling him this, because he did have such a positive impact on my life. I still don't think that he believes his impact on me, though.)

One of the best things that Richie did was praising our well planned and executed events, but always saying that we could improve the next year. I think some of my friends would like to hurt him for this because I always want to improve, do better, and help others. It frustrates me sometimes, too. If a person doesn't understand the point of something or has an awful attitude, I go crazy because I do have high expectations. I'm glad that I do, though, and I have him to thank.

Therefore, I am giving up on the thank you e-mails that I always send him, and, instead, I am dedicating a blog to him. (Highest honor, right here.) When I am asked about my role model, after the Lord and my family pass through my mind, I think of Richie. He always gave back; whether it was his energy, his money, or his time, he gave to others. I strive to make the personal, yet small sacrifices that he made to empower me and make me a better person. The right thing isn't always the easiest. Actually, I'd argue that it is pretty much never the easiest thing, but I always want to go the extra mile and do the right thing because, while my parents taught me this, Richie pushed me to that higher level. Usually, I tie in a biblical verse here, but I'm going to end this with his favorite quote.

"It takes a village to raise a child." ~ African Proverb