Inside King's-Edgehill School
Lucas Martin is our next Emerging Leader. From Lucasville, Nova Scotia, Lucas came to KES in Grade 7 and has taken significant strides each year and has situated himself as a leader amongst his peers. He is a dedicated student whose humble approach to helping others does not go unnoticed. Lucas has used his interpersonal skills to help younger students as a peer mentor and is also a regular orator at our Junior School chapel services. Lucas’s reflective, thoughtful, and empathetic approach to leadership is one that can serve as a model for many in our School.What does leadership mean to you?
In my opinion, leadership is shown when someone sets an example for others to follow or look to for guidance.
In your opinion, what makes a good leader?
For a leader to be a good one they shouldn’t second guess themselves. When they know the right thing to do, or the necessary thing to do is, they shouldn’t hesitate, be decisive, and act.
How can one develop the confidence to be decisive?
For me, it’s important to build trust with others. Even if you make the wrong call in a particular situation, if people trust you, they will know you were doing what you thought was best for them or the group. By knowing that people trust in me, it gives me the confidence to act.
How would others describe your leadership style?
Interestingly, I don’t know if others see me as a leader, but perhaps more as a friend they can go to if they need something. Personally, I think of myself as a passive leader, I don’t need to be at the front of the group, but I can provide insight or ideas that might help get through a problem or issue.
Who do you look up to in terms of leadership?
For me, I want to strive to be a better leader, and someone like (Head Boy) Righo Etou is a great example. He is doing a great job this year. He’s calm, can figure out solutions, and helping people feel normal. School feels pretty normal (except for the masks) and he and (Head Girl) Sarah Bell did a lot to make things feel so smooth.
Looking back on your last three years in the Junior School, what are you most proud of?
I’m a lot more outgoing now than I was when I first came to KES. Socializing and making friends was more of a challenge and when I was younger people would talk to me, but now I seek out others. This has been great for me and I now feel like I can support some of our more quiet students.
What are your goals for the year?
Aside from the obvious of doing well in school, I want to be more a part of the student community. In the past two years I’ve been in my little friend group. I know I’m a little more introverted, but I want to push myself to be a little more outward in the community.
