1

Mady Starke
English 111
Erksine
10-21-15

Is This Home?
James Madison University captured my heart the second I stepped on campus. The sight
of the fiery red autumn leaves seared a burning desire in my soul, a singeing passion to the core
of my being. My brain whispered, This already feels like home. And at that moment, I knew.
The chill of the crisp, cool mountain air was a refreshing contradiction to the warmth I felt
surrounded by JMU Alumni and cheering college students. The next three days at the Hugh
OBrien Youth Leadership Seminar on campus would turn out to be the ultimate experience, one
that would drastically influence my decision of where I would aim to attend in a mere two years.
Inhabiting a dorm room, doing my own laundry, and essentially living on my own exposed me to
how quickly college was approaching, pushing me to pick a top choice of where I would want to
go.
JMU is known for its gorgeous campus location; its high above the sea level, where only
the birds fly above. Endless mountain peaks impale the sky and dew covers the freshly
manicured grass; its no wonder all who go there fall in love instantaneously, and I was not the
exception. My weekend started out with a speech by Mr. Jonathan R. Alger, the president of the
University, which was presented to all the delegates of the workshop I was attending. His
verbalization of the impact that JMU would have on each and every one of us turned out to be
nothing short of accurate. Our days were filled with workshop activities, from trust exercises to
icebreakers, cheers and chants. I was in my element; Leadership is my thing. My passion for

being an example to others began at a young age, and I was always one to lead the pack.
From representing my class as president my sophomore year in high school, and participating in
nearly every honor society and club my school had to offer, I felt confident in my ability to lead
others at the HOBY seminar. During that weekend, I had the chance to show others what
leadership styles worked for me, and I learned inventive strategies from my new peers. I was
humbled to say the least, because I realized that even though I believed that my participation in
multiple groups was enough, I realized that I needed to do more in order to make a difference.
As those three magical days came to a close, I left the seminar feeling honored to have
participated and inspired to spark change back at my school.
Once I got home, I became more involved than I had ever been before. I completed over
90 hours of community service at a camp for Autistic kids and also had the privilege of being on
my city-wide Elementary School leadership workshop staff. I got to spread my love for
leadership to younger generations which made all my previous hard work worth it. HOBY
changed me as a person; it wasnt simply a weekend filled with games and fun. Our thoughtprovoking conversations deeply inspired me to truly make a difference in the lives of others just
as the staff members during that weekend did for me.
Its hard to find a university that can take an already involved student and stimulate their
minds so much that they are aching to get back into their life back at home and start an entirely
new wave of enthusiasm among their peers. James Madison did that for me, and I am forever
grateful. I can only imagine the impact four years would have on my life in comparison to three
short days. College is a period of self-discovery for some and a time of greatness for others.
From that extended stay in the mountains of Virginia, I learned what leadership means to me, and

what it does for the school. Student leaders keep the campus spirit alive, and thanks to JMU, I
am officially a leader.