by Sara Steffan
My leadership lesson came recently (or my memory doesn’t go very far back!) when I was deciding where to go to college in Fall 2008/early Spring 2009.
My parents gave me the opportunity to attend any college I wanted, and they would help with my tuition up to $25,000 per year. I remember thinking at the time that this was one of the first chances I had ever had at making a substantive decision about my future, and the fact that it was coming with financial support what more than I even could have imagined.
										So it quickly became one of the most exciting things to ever
										happen to me, but at the same time it completely overwhelmed
										me. I wanted a pre-professional program with a focus on
										writing and communication. Journalism seemed like a natural
										fit.
										
										But where did I want to go? Location was an important factor
										that I did not anticipate having such influence on my
										decision. And, more importantly, cost – when did schooling
										become so expensive? My top choice at the time, Syracuse
										University, was $44,000 per year. My scholarship only
										knocked $4,000 off the price tag; even with my parents’
										help, I would still be paying $15,000 a year with student
										loans.
									
										When I got an offer letter from ASU that ended up covering
										almost all of my tuition, I had to think long and hard about
										how much location was important to me. Did I want to be
										close to my family in upstate New York? Or did I want to
										venture further and eventually, have almost complete
										financial freedom?
										
										Leadership isn’t just about leading others. Great leaders
										also have to show personal responsibility and skillful
										decision-making about their own lives. When I decided to
										come to ASU, even though it was something I’d never
										considered until that letter arrived in the mail, I felt
										confident that my future was now in my hands and that I was
										able to successfully manage the responsibility my parents
										had given me. And being able to shoulder that weight was one
										of the most important lessons I’ve learned about myself thus
										far.
									
 
				