[nabs-l] Rebecca Leon for Secretary

[Rebecca Leon]

Dear NABS members,
My name is Rebecca Leon, and I am a new member of this emailing list!
To introduce myself briefly:
I am currently a social work major at Union University in Jackson Tennessee.
I have a deep passion for seeking justice and assisting in empowering
under-served populations. In particular I desire to serve victims of
trauma, specifically the orphan population, the population of girls
that have been trafficked and abused, and the intersection between
those two.
A few of my favorite pastimes, in no particular order, include:
•	Swimming: Competitively or just for fun.
•	Soccer: Although, sadly enough, 2 of my 3 favorite teams are not
making it into the next round of the world cup, but go USA!
•	Music: Which part? Well, playing music is awesome, and singing? Then
there’s dancing…, and you can’t forget just jamming out to your
Pandora, so…it’s really too hard to choose.
•	Traveling: The new cultures, the new foods, the foreign languages
and accents, I’m pretty obsessed with all of it!
•	Psychology: Most people don’t really think of this as a pastime, but
I kind of nerd out about it and study it for fun.
•	Reading: If I had to choose one thing for which I’m thankful about
my childhood, it would be the appreciation of reading which was
instilled in me. I am fascinated by books from philosophy to fairy
tales.
So hopefully that gives ya’ll a little better idea of who I am
Now down to business:
As the subject line states, I am planning on running for secretary of
NABS at the up-coming convention.
I believe that academically I am prepared for this position, having
completed the rigorous general honors requirements at my university
while maintaining a 4.0. I have utilized and developed organizational
skills while serving as vice president of the honors community and
currently as president of the social work department’s student
association. Through these experiences, I have found that my
propensity for planning allows me to function well as a voice of
practicality among my visionary piers, while believing whole-heartedly
in their philosophies and dreams. These positions and others, such as
serving as a mentor for multiple groups of incoming freshmen through
university sponsored programs, have also nurtured my ability to
communicate tactfully and effectively.
I have also spent some time abroad, including my recent study abroad
at an orphanage in Honduras. Observing other cultures and learning to
master Spanish has taught me a little about the immense complexity of
communication in any context. I have come to believe that the art of
written or verbal communication is characterized by one’s ability to
engage others, not one’s propensity for grandiosity in speech. I
certainly agree that there come occasions when maintaining strict
intellectuality  can enhance one’s ability to engage specific
populations, organizations, or figures of prestige, however, I also
firmly believe that small words, slang, and crazy emoji’s often do a
lot more for communication than we give them credit. I stress this
point because, while I am aware that the secretary position will
require leadership, organization, and initiative, I also believe that
it will involve a great deal of knowledge about how to communicate
appropriately.
One final note:
Obviously I am new to this organization, so how do I think that I can
run for a position on board? I admit that I am new, certainly, but I
do not believe that that is wholly negative. Newness brings new
perspective and different energy. Not only this, but I have also grown
more and more committed to NABS through my research and reading about
the organization and from its archives. I also promise to continue
learning about the organization, if I am elected, through fearlessly
asking mountains of questions, and, whether I am elected or not, I
can’t wait to get involved with NABS in Tennessee and serve in other
capacities within the organization.
Thank you to all of you who were curious enough to read this entire email!
If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
I will be attending convention, and, of course, will be coming to the
NABS Social on Tuesday! I will be at convention as a scholarship
finalist, so I will be rather busy, but, if any of you are interested
in meeting up with me, I would love to make time for you wherever
possible!
You are also welcome to call or text me at:
240-440-4802
Sincerely,
Rebecca-