What are your hobbies and interests?

I love hiking and experiencing the world we live in. This has led me on many family trips to
Banff, Yoho, Glacier, and Yosemite national park. I also explore the trails a little closer to home.
Being from Montana, home has given me and my friends the opportunity to find a good spot to
hammock or watch the sunset on many summer evenings. I also enjoy making crafts. This
started by learning how to make friendship bracelets at summer camp as well as making cards
with my grandma for my friends' birthdays. I have continued to expand my abilities by learning
how to embroider words and designs on clothing and sewing my own scrunchies. Even though
I do not consider myself an artist, I also painted my phone case. I unfortunately didn’t bring my
crafting supplies to Gonzaga, but I found a new way to occupy my free time. I was enrolled in
guitar 101, so over the past seven weeks I have been learning how to play. I have always
wanted to learn how since I am fairly active in the choir community and wanted to expand my
musicianship. It is how I de-stress and I have been enjoying the sense of pride that comes
along with learning a new song.

3 words to describe your past self:

Curious, eager, positive
3 words to describe your present self:
Ambitious, passionate, lively
3 words to describe your future self:
Confident, determined, enthusiastic

Please reflect on a person that you consider to be a leader. What trait or quality do you
think makes their leadership stand out and why? (300 words max)
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to get to know Molly Sasser-Goehner, the pastor at
my church. She took over for our old pastor when I was in 6th grade, so I was able to grow with
her as a mentor in my life. She shows signs of leadership through her commitment and passion
to the church. While she is obviously a leader for the members of my church on our journeys
through faith, she is also raising two incredible young boys. I babysat them frequently when I
got into high school, and have made many paintings with Luke, who is five, and made silly faces
at Leo, a 12 month old. Seeing this side of her personal life has only continued to inspire me.
She and her husband both work for the church, however, her job is much more time consuming
than his. This means that she is a hardworking and amazing mother while also defying typical
gender roles, as her husband stays home much more with the kids. She is a leader for the
congregation of my church, her two adorable boys, and all the other peoples lives she has
touched through her work. She has shown me that being a leader means caring for others and
working together towards a common goal. She uses her platform as a pastor to teach about
ways that we can better ourselves through actions for the community as well as self reflection.
The passion she has for her work as well as the positive influence she has on others makes her
stand out as a leader that I look up to.
Why do you want to be in CLP? (300 words max)
I came to Gonzaga not sure of what I wanted out of the experience. I have many interests and
a general path, but did not want to commit to any particular major. During orientation, my
parents and I went to the academic fair to explore some of my options. We talked to many
people about different programs, but at the end of the day I was still thinking about the
Comprehensive Leadership Program. I pulled out the pamphlet I had taken from the table and
read over the program details again. I began to get excited, as I started to feel a sense of
belonging. Even though I have not been in many traditional leadership roles, I find myself in
other situations where leadership skills are needed. I try to have a positive mental attitude so
many people come to me in times of struggles. I keep the moral high when people are
discouraged and am always willing to step up to lend a helping hand. I know when things need
to get done and I am not afraid to start the movement to accomplish these things. I want to be a
part of CLP so I can continue to be an active member of the community, wherever I may be. I
believe the skills I will develop while studying leadership, will help at all points of my life. I want
to use these gained skills to help the people around me. Whether this is as a person to turn to
in times of crisis, or just a friendly face, I want to learn how I can lend a hand and lead my
community to improvement.

Below is the CLP mission statement.

The Comprehensive Leadership Program (CLP) fosters the development of individuals who lead
for the common good. Our program offers a unique scholarly environment that provides
transformational and reflective student experiences focused on three dimensions:
self-awareness, relationship with others, and community action for the common good.
We want to know what this means to you. How do you foresee yourself living out the CLP
mission statement during your time at Gonzaga? (300 words max)
I want to use what I will learn and improve upon on in CLP as a chance to help others. This
may be through education, standing up for what I believe in, or giving people a friendly face they
can come to if they need help. To me, a leader is a strong, respected figure, but also someone
who is open and kind. I want to learn how to work well with all people, even if they have
different perspectives than my own. My goal is to be able to lead a community in the right
direction and to be a resource in order to make that happen. I also want to be a leader by
standing up for my personal beliefs. An example of this would be my attempts to eliminate as
much single use plastic in my life as possible. At Gonzaga, this entails me bringing my own
coffee cup to Thomas Hammer or Starbucks or my own bowl and spoon to Froyo Earth. By me
doing this, it has started a conversation with some of my friends, so I have the opportunity to
educate them on why I choose to do these things. This is a small way that I have led and
encouraged the people around me, and now you can find us all at Froyo Earth with our reusable
utensils. I want to continue my personal education of leadership so I can grow and share these
attributes with the people around me.
Share something with us that inspires you. (It can be as simple as attaching a link to
YouTube video, a picture, song lyrics, something that you made or made by someone else, etc.)
Feel free to upload a photo below, or type the link or other content in the text box below.
● Photo from the lake at FLBC - This is uploaded on the application
Please share why this inspires you using the text box below. (explanation: 100 words
max)
This photo was taken of me at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp. My family has been going there
every summer since I was 10 months old. I cannot convey how much meaning FLBC holds for
me. Whenever I go for retreats or camps, I am instantly at peace. The view of the mountains
inspires me to focus on what is truly important in life. I am reminded to not get caught up in the
minutiae details of life and to seek out meaningful experiences. I hope to work there next
summer as a counselor to show kids this amazing place.