You briefly met with a college recruiter last week, and you reviewed a number of question to ask about colleges. This must have gotten you thinking about your future, so tell us about it. Without any strict requirements, write about your expectation, goals, fears, concerns, questions that you have concerning your future in college. Additionally now that you know that recruiters want to hear about you and your intellectual interests and pursuits, how do you think being an aware Academic Leader will give you an advantage when applying to the college of your choice?           

            As I met with a college recruiter of Baldwin Wallace college last, I could have a broad idea of colleges in the United States, thus several ideas and questions came to my mind about the future, jobs, my goals, concerns and expectations to a college student. First at all, I have a immense fear and insecurity  because I do not know what to work with and for I truly have vocation for. Therefore, I do not have any idea what course to choose. But as I met the college recruiter, make me feel a little coolness, since I know that I have two years before in college to  choose my course, in which is a enormous advantage for me. Also, I have the desire to go to college as a scholar of volleyball, for two main reasons: it is a sport in which I play since I was 7 years old, in which I really admire and I don't have the condition to pay a full tuition price per month . Besides  my fears, I also have some goals  - including some colleges that I would be proud to go and experience in life and get a scholarship. However, I have I complicated doubt, in which is if I really want to study outside Brazil or just stay here. Therefore, I have as a fact that if I am going to study in any university in USA, the recruiters would want to hear about my academic interests and pursuits. Thus, being aware Academic Leader, in other words,  we use your knowledge - in a correct and positive way - and all experiences in life to progress your level of leadership, as I said in my first blog; will give a number of advantages when applying to college, because I would be realible and true, knowing how to help and  really represent a team, and give concrete and developed arguments to each question they will ask. Thus, being aware of  the concept of Academic Leader and practicing should actually make a difference to be accept in universities. Lastly, despite the fears, I will try to do everything as better as I can and always working hard to reach my goals, making everything worthwhile.

"In our first two weeks, you have read several articles, seen several videos and been engaged in several discussions related to the concept of academic leadership. At this point, and in your own words, what does the concept mean to you? What subjects or interests do you have a sophisticated, intellectual understanding of that you may want to turn into a major academic project in this class? How do people sometimes abuse academic knowledge to manipulate others? How would you feel if someone used your work to manipulate others (as Jared Diamond claims Mitt Romney has)? How can creating academically sophisticated, intellectual leaders help prevent such people from taking advantage of others the way they do? How can this create a stronger democratic society?"

                 

                In the first two weeks in Academic Leadership, we read several articles, which gave me a broad knowledge about concepts connected to academic leadership. As I read the article Educational Leadership by John W. Gardner, I could reflect and think about my actions relating to this and also connect some ideas that I have been in my mind before, formulating a concrete thought. When defining academic leadership, I need to define leadership first: in which a leader just a representative and have other members to help, of course each one has a role they should follow, respecting the others. Therefore, when combining the terms, academic leadership, we use your knowledge - in a correct and positive way - and all experiences in life to progress your level of leadership. A common fact , which became a problem seen by teams and groups is the fact that leaders constantly confuse the concept of organizing, helping and representing a team, turning it on a manipulative process. As seen in the article read and discussed in class, "Romney Hasn't Done His Homework" by Jared Dimond, Mitt Romney used Diamond's ideas to manipulate others, using a different approach to his ideas. Thus, we can see this as an example of an irresponsible leader using academic knowledge to manipulate others. If someday this happened to me - someone used my idea and my knowledge incorrectly - I would be insulted. Since I used my academic skills in a proper manner and someone changed its meaning, using it for their own benefits. However, I would act patiently and just re-state my idea and clarify to the person how a superior leader should be like and what he should do to fulfill his role in society. This way, we would create more academically intellectual leaders , without misunderstanding ideas. That being said, bright leaders would know how to interfere in other leaders' thoughts with reliable and concrete arguments. Also, it would help the democratic society, for it would be aiming at the whole group - what is the best for the majority, not permitting manipulation within the group.
            In continuation, in academic leadership we also are planning on an academic project, which includes an interest on a specific area that we may show interest in the years to come. I'm really undecided as to what topic I should choose, but I have two ideas which I may explore: Sports, specifically volleyball, and psychology. The first one, volleyball, I thought that it would be interesting since it is a sport in which I really enjoy and I have been playing since I was 7 years old, experiencing many tournaments throughout my life. But I still need to develop this idea, making it academic. The following topic - psychology - I think it is a subject that I'm fascinated in ,which involves the study of mental functions and behaviors - the understanding of each individual. Thus, I want to explore how this study has been changing society as whole and each one of us, and how significant this study is.