"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead"
My Leadership Journey
My leadership journey begins before I even knew what leadership was. At a young age, people who seemed to positively influence others effortlessly always intrigued me. I would see other people who were much bolder and more confident than me and would think to myself, “Wow, they are going to do great things to help others one day. They can do anything that they want and people will listen to them”. I knew that I wanted to have that same contagious, outgoing personality that others could look up to just as I did with my role models. I wanted it to be that easy for me. However, being an extremely polite introverted young girl, that was not the case. For most of my life, I stayed inside a shell and didn’t come out often. I would get nervous when interacting with anyone besides my friends and family. I did not stray too far from school activities and did not like being competitive with sports due to a fear of not being good enough and being judged for failing.
Because of my timid personality, I never thought that I would be able to take on the responsibility of being a leader. I was “too much” of this or “not enough” of that, so I could never become the person I wanted to be. I could barely lead myself down a clear path, so how could I possibly create a vision for anyone else? I thought that because I was so shy, I would not have the courage to critique others or be able to stand my ground, which is essential when leading others.
This was the way I felt for a long time. I was not confident enough in my own abilities, so I was not able to allow others to be confident in me either. This hindered me from being the leader that I was meant to become. I was stuck in the mindset that my introverted personality made me unfit to be a leader. I always knew that I had potential, but I didn’t know how to express myself to manifest my potential into results that I could work with.
It wasn’t until I joined the Hospitality and Tourism Management Major that I was pushed outside of my comfort zone. It was through the program that I began to get involved in organizations, network with industry professionals, build relationships with students and teachers in the program, and much more then I ever imagined I would do just from declaring my major. The Hospitality program essentially “forced” me to do these things as a requirement, but I am so glad that these everyday life skills were embedded into our school curriculum.
Different than any other major on campus, Hospitality teaches students skills that surpass that of a textbook. We learn things such as how to dress professionally, perfect your resume, mentor other students, work in difficult group projects, present effectively and persuasively, be creative by thinking outside the box, to value travel and appreciate different cultures by studying abroad, to get work experience in your field of study, to network with everyone and make those connections that will benefit your future, and so much more.
If I had not changed my major to Hospitality and Tourism Management my sophomore year, I would not have learned these skills that I carry with me in my back pocket for whenever I need them. I would not be as fine-tuned and attentive to detail as I am as an event planner, if I was a Psychology major. At times, I do wonder what would have happened if I would have continued to pursue my curiosity of the human brain and my inner dialogue questioning why people are the way they are. However, I am not one to play “what if” scenarios in my head, as I think that they are destructive for growing the current situation and only result in regret. I absolutely do believe that I was meant to find hospitality for a reason -- to help me expand beyond the horizons of the limitations that I pre-set for myself in my mind.
That being said, I do think that having the ability to relate any given experience towards your current situation is essential in this vast world that we live in. I believe that I have an advantage as a leader in the hospitality industry by having an interest for, as well as an intuitive read, on different people and how they work. I am able to combine my love of working with people with the natural analysis I perform subconsciously on others upon interacting with them in order to understand where they are coming from better. This allows me to tailor my teaching methods to each individual that I am leading, so that they can gain the most out of the relationship we have.
I can confidently say that I have come very far along my leadership journey from where I started. I know that I still have a lot to improve upon, but I also know that over the past four years, I have made some amazing progress. I am very proud of myself for pushing through my darkest days and continuing to move forward, despite any setbacks along the way. I have accomplished goals that I wouldn’t have even bothered to set for myself before college. I have a completely different outlook on leadership now. I no longer run and hide at the sight of responsibility or the opportunity to influence people. I also no longer feel that I am “too much” or “not enough” of anything. I am the way I am; an introvert who likes being around people and making them happy. I have realized that I can still be a strong leader without being that extroverted girl that I always dreamt of being. I know that I will do great things to inspire others, as long as I stay true to myself and keep my passion of leading others alive.
About Me
First thing’s first -- my name is Megan Henry. I reside in San Diego, but I am originally from Torrance, California, which is located in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Although I am only two hours from where I grew up in LA, I see San Diego as a completely different place. There are also more opportunities here in San Diego for the industry that I am in. I seem connect more to San Diego as a destination than I do in LA. I’m not sure if this is because of the laid back atmosphere in San Diego, or the amazing memories I have made over the past five years living here, but either way, SD is where I want to be.
The reason I moved to San Diego five years ago was to pursue a college degree at San Diego State University. I intended to study Psychology to continue on a career that involved helping others mend their emotional wounds. However, by my sophomore year, I realized that life had a different plan for me. I was no longer confident in my dedication to the Psychology field, so I decided to keep myself open to switching majors. I figured that I could go for a degree in Business Administration, since I enjoy learning more about business as a broad subject. However, I stumbled upon Hospitality and Tourism Management, a major that I didn’t even know had a program. I decided to embark on the journey through a new world of hospitality; one that I didn’t know would change my life.
I chose my emphasis of study in Hospitality -- Meetings and Events.
With the program comes two required internships, both relating to the customer service field. I currently work at the Hotel Karlan, a newly renovated DoubleTree by Hilton in Carmel Mountain, as well as at the USS Midway in Downtown San Diego. I am still not sure where I want to take my career in Hospitality, but I know that I want to stay in this industry. I believe that my naturally caring personality compliments the field that I strive to grow in.
In case you were wondering, yes, I am a natural redhead; we make up less than 2% of the world’s population. And contrary to popular belief, yes, I do have a soul. Or at least I would like to think so. I actually see myself as a rather soulful individual – I tend to see the positivity in everything and truly appreciate the life I have been gifted with. I become inspired every day by compassionate people, beautiful music, and the brightness of nature. This allows me to see every day as a new opportunity to learn and better myself. Because I am motivated by the little things in life, I seek to inspire others through my actions, even if it is just a smile that does the trick. My goal is to be as inspirational as the people who have influenced me so positively.
Summary of Highlights
The stories that I talk about on this portfolio website in every one of the six tabs, each have a special place in my heart, and had a huge impact on inspiring me to become the person that I am today. These pivotal moments that have affected the way I view leadership today are from my college career and those who have influenced me, work experience, networking, organizations that I have been a part of, challenges that I have faced, and much more. I have included many pictures to illistrate my leadership journey and personalize the experience you have here on this portfolio learning more about me and my leadership development over the years.
By scrolling through the different tabs at the top of the page, you can see which specific experience affected me, and how I learned from that experience, whether positive or negative. I highlighted these stories because they stand out to me as times where I was able to grow in my professional career as a hospitality student. They also represent hurdles that I have leaped past in my personal life. The situations that I shared, I can now look back on, as a graduating senior, and reflect on how I have been shaped through these events that at the time seemed so insignificant.
There is a recurring theme in each of my posts, and that is inspiration. Whether it was my friend who encouraged me to change my major to hospitality just three short years ago, my manager at work who role modeled what it was like to connect with guests to solve customer service issues, or the downward spiral that I was falling down in my own mind due to excessive stress and worrying, I am able to see the bigger picture and reflect on why everything happened the way it did. I now wish to fulfill the rest of my leadership journey in life by inspiring others with my stories, guiding others through their struggles, and encouraging them to push past the insecurities and have faith that they will do amazing things.
