[Young Leaders at PennSchool] When leadership is a journey of growing together

PennSchool has always believed that every student carries the qualities of a leader within themselves. What truly matters is creating an environment where they feel confident to explore and develop that potential. Leadership is not an instinct but a long journey of learning, perseverance, and growth – where every stumble becomes a valuable lesson that helps students better understand themselves and those around them.

For Hoang Tran Binh Minh, that journey has been a meaningful process of self-discovery and growth. Despite being confident in her academic abilities and personal skills, stepping into the role of Vice President of the Student Council for the first time was both exciting and challenging. The first meetings, the quiet moments of observation, and even the times she hesitated to express her opinions – all became important experiences that helped Binh Minh gradually understand the true meaning of being a leader.

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell

I used to think leadership meant being the smartest person in the room, the one everyone admired. When I became Vice President of the Student Council, I quickly realized how wrong I was. Leading the Student Council was nothing like the group projects my sixteen-year-old self had imagined. Surrounded by older, confident peers, I became a shadow – nodding, smiling, saying yes to everything. I tried so hard to be “perfect”: polite, agreeable, invisible. Even my 4.0 GPA couldn’t give me the courage to speak up. My ideas stayed bottled up because, honestly, I was afraid.

Then there was Gia Lac. She was a year older, effortlessly funny, a little chaotic, the kind of person who could make even the most awkward moment sparkle. I remember one meeting in particular: I froze mid-sentence, words tangling in fear. Lac leaned over and whispered, “Just say it. People want to hear you.” That simple belief shattered the wall I had built around my own voice. In that instant, I realized leadership wasn’t about standing above others, but it was also about seeing people, connecting them, and creating a space where everyone could shine.

That lesson didn’t stay in the Student Council room; it became an inseparable part of me. In the final years of Secondary School and now first year of college, I carried it into Bookdeuniverse’s book donation campaigns, rallying students to collect thousands of books for children who had none. I carried it into the Khoa Thuy Eye Surgery Charity Fund, where I organized volunteers, guided patients through hospital hallways, and raised funds for surgeries that could change lives. Leadership became less about my title and more about building bridges that encourage quiet voices, listening to every idea, and finding ways to make each contribution matter.

Now, when I think about leading, I don’t imagine a spotlight. I imagine a room buzzing with collaboration, laughter, and shared purpose. Gia Lac taught me that true leadership is being able to live as yourself and let that authenticity transform others, and that lesson guides every project I touch. In the end, a leader doesn’t just know the way or go the way, they show the way, not alone, but by lifting everyone alongside them”.

At PennSchool, every student has the opportunity to take charge of their own journey in learning, in living, in thinking, and in spreading positivity to those around them. Leadership is not defined by titles or positions, but by the ability to inspire, empathize, and unite a community. This journey is not measured by remarkable achievements, but by the quiet yet lasting impact each student leaves on their peers. It is through moments of courage – speaking up for what they believe in, taking on new roles, listening and sharing with others that our students are steadily cultivating their true leadership potential.