While running my reading group, it became clear to me that my leadership of the group was key to its success for the fall semester. I realized I could use my power as the leader of the group to help us strive for success like a professor would do. I also tried to ensure that my group members were well prepared and ready to go when I brought up the discussion questions. As a leader, I grew the most when it came to communicating with my group members by creating a group chat so that I could know everyone’s schedule, availability, and to make sure that they had the materials they would need before coming to the meeting. I also came to our meetings prepared, so that I could communicate to my group the topics that we’d be discussing. I found it challenging getting people (and myself) to keep up with the readings because of our coursework. The leadership skills I improved while running the group were being a catalyst of discussion, scheduling the days we would meet, and communicating with my participants.

The topic of my reading group was how societal norms impact stereotypes of different races and their lifestyles. I learned a lot from them. They changed my point of view of how I look at the world, especially the news. The news doesn’t always give all the details, and can report inaccurate information about certain races or areas where certain races live. News reporting can be extremely different from how people who live in those areas 24/7 experience themselves and their lives. During discussion, my group members brought up how they feel and what they’re going through, which taught me a lot about certain social norms. Learning from my group, I had the opportunity to see into their perspectives and better understand their points of view.

The main goal I set for the group was that everyone came to our meetings prepared, which was important since I knew everyone was busy. I found the ways my group members demonstrated their dedication to the reading group really meaningful. They regularly came to the meetings during their free time, which was compelling to me. When the meetings were changed and scheduled on different days, people still came, which showed me that they cared and were willing to sacrifice their free time and put in the work for this reading group. They came and did the work, even though they easily could have come just for the food I provided, and that made me proud of them.