Leadership Isn't a Title... It's a Decision to Show Up

It started with a simple question that refused to leave me alone: What if one afternoon could change how a child sees their future?

I’m Kejsi Metko, Student Body President at the City College of New York, a senior balancing exams, a medical internship at Duke, and a long-held dream of becoming a physician. But on a bright afternoon in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, none of those titles mattered as much as this: showing up.

How It All Started (And Why That Matters)

This visit didn’t come out of nowhere- it grew from a relationship.

Through an internship, I had the chance to connect with an Assistant Principal at PS 250. What started as a conversation quickly became something more intentional: What would it look like to bring college students directly into the lives of younger students who may not otherwise see that path up close?

That question turned into a plan. And that plan turned into action.

Because here’s the thing: opportunity rarely arrives fully formed- it’s built through relationships, trust, and someone deciding to follow through.

Planting Seeds Before They’re Visible

Months before we stepped into PS 250, my team and I were doing the quiet work no one sees.

We called local businesses. We asked professors. We followed up- again and again. We collected donations not just as “gifts,” but as signals: someone you’ve never met believes in you.

Every item we gathered was intentional. Then came the part that mattered even more—we sat down and wrote handwritten notes to each student. Not generic messages. Real ones. Encouragement with names, with care, with the kind of specificity that says, you are not invisible.

Because here’s what I’ve learned: impact isn’t built in grand gestures- it’s built in details people can feel.

The Day Everything Became Real

We walked into PS 250 as a group of about a dozen college students- nervous, excited, carrying bags filled with carefully wrapped gifts.

Then we spread out.

Each of us sat with a group of 10–15 students. No podium. No speeches. Just conversations.

We talked about high school, college, failure, pressure, friendships. We answered every question—especially the ones they thought were “dumb.” We played games. We laughed. We listened.

And slowly, something shifted.

For many of those students, this was the first time they had ever spoken to a college student. The first time college felt like a real place instead of an abstract idea.

One student, Evangeline, said it best:
“You guys are the best… I didn’t know much about college before and now I want to go to college when I’m your guyses age.”

Another, Kendrick, went home and told his mom that he now wants to go to college.

That’s not just a nice moment. That’s a trajectory change.

Why This Matters More Than We Think

We often talk about access in terms of systems- applications, financial aid, policies. Those matter. But access also starts with belief.

And belief is contagious.

When Allie told us she’s “not scared about going to college anymore,” I realized something powerful:
sometimes the biggest barrier isn’t ability- it’s unfamiliarity.

When students don’t see people who look like them, talk like them, or come from where they come from in certain spaces, those spaces feel off-limits.

That afternoon, we didn’t just talk about college- we made it feel reachable.

The Power of Showing Up as You Are

I didn’t walk into that gym as someone who “had it all figured out.” I talked about my struggles. About balancing school and my internship. About moments I doubted myself.

And that honesty mattered.

Jocelyn later wrote that she wanted me to come back because she loved hearing about my college experience. Not a perfect version of it- the real one.

Because here’s the truth:
young people don’t need perfection- they need proximity.

They need to sit across from someone who says, “I was where you are, and I found a way forward.”

What My Team Taught Me About Leadership

This wasn’t a solo effort. Lila, Mahdi, Lakeelah, Anour, Abdullah, Imani, Shafin- and Shadman (a former City College Student Government President) showed up with heart, patience, and intention.

They didn’t rush conversations. They didn’t check their phones. They met each student where they were.

That’s leadership.

Not titles. Not speeches. Just presence.

How Any College Student Can Do This (Starting Small)

You don’t need a title to do what we did. You just need initiative and consistency.

Here are a few ways to start:

• Partner with a local school through an internship, professor, or community contact; relationships open doors faster than cold outreach.

• Organize a “College Conversation Day” centered on small-group dialogue, not presentations.

• Write handwritten notes to students; personalization matters more than perfection.

• Bring a small, meaningful item (book, journal, school supplies) paired with a message of encouragement.

• Share your real story, including setbacks; authenticity builds trust faster than advice.

• Commit to returning; one visit inspires, consistency transforms.

If you’re leading a team:

• Assign each member a group to build accountability and connection.

• Prepare your team to listen more than they speak.

• Debrief afterward- capture what students said, not just what you planned.

What Stayed With Me

One student, Stanley, thanked us for answering “even the dumb questions.”

There’s no such thing.

Questions are what courage sounds like when it’s still finding its voice.

And if we can create spaces where young people feel safe enough to ask them, we’re already changing the future.

The Real Takeaway

I went to PS 250 thinking we were delivering gifts.

We left realizing we had been entrusted with something far bigger: perspective.

Because sometimes, all it takes is one conversation, one afternoon, one person who listens- to turn “maybe” into “I will.”

And in a full-circle moment I didn’t see coming, I was later invited back to PS 250- this time as the guest speaker for their June graduation.

I share that not as an achievement, but as a reminder: when you show up with intention, people remember how you made them feel.

So here’s my challenge to you:

Don’t wait until you feel established enough to give back.
Don’t wait until it’s convenient.
Don’t wait at all.

Go where you’re needed. Sit down. Listen. Share your story.

You might walk in thinking you’re offering inspiration.

But if you do it right- you’ll walk out knowing you helped someone see a future they didn’t know they were allowed to have.

References

Oyserman, Daphna, and Mesmin Destin. “Identity-Based Motivation: Implications for Intervention.” The Counseling Psychologist 38, no. 7 (2010): 1001–1043.

U.S. Department of Education. Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education. Washington, DC, 2016.

Walton, Gregory M., and Geoffrey L. Cohen. “A Brief Social-Belonging Intervention Improves Academic and Health Outcomes.” Science 331, no. 6023 (2011): 1447–1451.