Question 1What unique qualities do you possess that demonstrate your leadership skills? Since I was young, I have always tried to be friendly and understanding, to make someone smile one more time in their time. My junior and senior year I was captain of my high school's tennis team. For four weekends, one per month, our team organized a test tournament. I worked the tournament desk and greeted the incoming freshman, along with their parents, both with worried looks on their faces. Sitting there at the desk, I recalled with nerves that dreaded day of tryouts, then every kid who came to the desk to check in, I introduced myself and welcomed them to the tournament. It was clear that I had calmed their nerves. Even though it only lasted for a second, I knew my welcome would help them feel more at home in a seemingly nerve-wracking event. As an athlete and student, I have foresight in knowing the goals I need to achieve, but do so with integrity, honesty and a positive attitude. Both tennis and school led me to understand that no matter how low you get in life, you can and must get back up. During difficult tennis matches, a player can lose by a large margin to his opponent. I have experienced this situation countless times. There are two options for the losing player. The first is tanking, where the player slowly gives up mentally and stops giving his all. The losing opponent might even continue to fight, not worrying about whether he wins or loses, but just giving it his all and keeping the phrase "I can do it" in mind. In the classroom, I can apply this same attitude. Math was never my strong point, but I learned that if I didn't understand a concept right away, I would eventually grasp it with persistence as I studied and practiced math problems. During the autumn tennis season, our team participates in many competitions. I try to encourage my teammates to maintain this same attitude to always give their best on the pitch during matches, as well as during training. This year as a captain I learned that a group of individuals, united by a common goal and drive, can achieve great things. We fought hard and made it to the regional semifinals and completed our season ranked as the number six team in the state of Texas.