My personal mantra is lead by example. Whether that be in my family, academics, or work, I’ve done my best to lead by example. Growing up one of the oldest grandchildren in my family, I had to set the bar high for my younger cousins. Whether that be taking leadership positions in clubs in high school, or excelling in academics, I’ve always had the pressure to be an impeccable role model for my younger cousins, and friends.When I was 11 years old, my parents started a pizzeria in my hometown. Leading up to opening night, I was thrown right into the fire. I spent endless hours scrubbing the floor on my hands and knees, washing mountains of dishes, and cleaning fryers. Once the restaurant opened, I learned one of the most important things in business, customer service. Since opening day, I’ve learned how to take care of customers to ensure they return to the restaurant. Although my parents own the restaurant, I still had to work my way up into a manager position. At age 15, I was promoted to one of the managers of the restaurant. As a manager, I found myself once again, leading by example. Being a manager, I train new employees, restock inventory, cook, and even run the social media pages. Being in a leadership position has taught me lots of lessons that not a lot of people can say they learned at the age that I learned them. Through managing, I learned to become a precise communicator, and a confident and level-headed decision maker. As an aspiring Information Systems professional, I believe with my experiences in the real world at a young age, and the incredible education I will be learning here at Indiana University, I believe that I can achieve all the things I want to in life. In an ever-evolving business world, I believe I can use the skills I have, and continue to master, to once again, lead by example.