Morgan Border

11th Grade

St. Edmond Catholic School

Who do you look up to, and who are your heroes or role models?

I look up to my beautiful mom and my dad, they are huge role models to me and I always go to them for help, advice, and just to talk. Not many people can say that their parents are their best friend.

What inspires you to do the things you do that go above and beyond classwork?

There are so many things that inspire me each and every day, but what inspires me the most is the need for help. The patients are going through so much and are very tough. Seeing what they are all going through inspires me also to keep going. I founded my own fundraiser in 6th grade for breast cancer that has now raised over $50,000 in the past 5 years and every single year I meet so many new people and see their strength and it inspires me to keep going. It can be very tough on my part sometimes because I don’t get to meet the people help because of HIPPA but it is truly amazing just knowing you can help so many people by just doing something simple. “No one can do everything, but everyone can do something” that is a quote I live by and I think helping anyone in any type of way leaves a huge impact no matter what your doing. Every year when I get ready to start my fundraiser up again I just see the need for help and I work really hard to plan the event for that year and set a goal for myself to reach, but you don’t have to raise a ton of money just to help someone.

How do you see your leadership taking you into the future?

I plan to use my leadership skills in my future by going into Nursing School, getting my RN, then BSN and then becoming a life light nurse. My leadership skills will help me in the healthcare profession because you will always have to be a leader when working with patients and helping them get better. Leadership skills have helped me so far in my life by giving me the opportunity to be the president of my 4-H club, County Council, National Honor Society, Student Council, Church Youth Group, and many other leadership opportunities I have been involved and are a part of. Leadership skills are something everyone should learn and evolve in throughout their years and use it as a tool for their future.

What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership to me means someone who is confident, motivating, compassionate, kind, and someone who loves serving their community and others. Being a leader means you will have many responsibilities, and someone who always tries to solve problems without causing any more. A leader will always find ways to include everyone and will always be compassionate towards everyone and to help in any way they can. A leader is someone who takes control to get something going and to give it 110%. Leaders are an important role in our community because they are someone that everyone looks up to, and they should be someone who also puts in the work, starts from the bottom up and sees the true qualities of what is takes to get there. Being a true leader is not being “above” everyone else, it’s someone who leads by being confident, motivating, compassionate, caring, and delegating responsibilities with others.

What are you working hardest on?

I am working hardest on balancing my school work, my fundraiser, my faith, and many other activities I am involved in. It can be hard sometimes while being in high school to manage things, but I think it’s important to prioritize things and really be organized. My passion is my breast cancer fundraiser that I founded called Stay A-Breast that started in 6th grade as a 4-H citizenship project. I wanted to do something to help others that has never been done before, and I came up with the idea of swimming the breaststroke for breast cancer. The fundraiser has now raised over $50,000 in the past 5 years splitting the money evenly between the American Cancer Society, and the Trinity Cancer Center, one for research and the other for basic needs. Learning to balance a work life and a social life at a young age has been difficult, but it has been a wonderful learning experience for me.