For our 35th anniversary, we’ll be sharing the stories of 35 alumni showcasing the leaders they are today and how 21st Century Leaders inspired and impacted their journey. Alumni will represent the 3.5 decades since our founding in 1989 – the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. Take a read and be inspired!
35th Anniversary Alumni Spotlight
2020’s Decade
Name: Munzir Ataalsid
H.S. Grad Year: Class of 2022
High School: Gwinnet School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
College: Georgia Institute of Technology
Current Role: Aerospace Engineering Student, Georgia Institute of Technology
How has your career unfolded and how did participating in 21CL help prepare you for your next steps going to college, taking on a new leadership role in community/college and after?
I joined 21CL back in the summer of 2021 when I was in my filmmaking and video editing phase. I learned a ton and exercised my creativity all the while realizing I appreciate the art of filmmaking but I do not want to make a career out of it. Ever since then I reignited my passion for rockets, a passion and curiosity I’ve had since I was a child. 21CL had an immense impact on my senior year/early college experience. The confidence and lessons I learned helped me build genuine connections and make my senior year fruitful. One specific lesson I took from 21CL was that I’m not alone in having a sort of imposter’s syndrome. A lot of the most powerful leaders we look up to had to figure stuff out as they went. The only thing I can do is make decisions that I believe are the best in the moment based on the information I have available to me. This applied to my public speaking and leadership skills. A specific example of how this lesson truly impacted me was when I needed a volunteering opportunity at a local bird shelter. The shelter wasn’t looking to onboard any volunteers but I was persistent and knew it would be the perfect opportunity to do something I enjoyed while helping the community. I called several times and made myself and my knowledge of how to take care of birds evident. This landed me the volunteering opportunity and I had an amazing time. This is just one of the many examples of how 21CL and the lessons I learned from it benefited me greatly.
What’s your memorable or ‘aha’ moment during your time at 21CL? (Particular program, meeting a professional and diverse peer, speaking in public for the first time, etc.)
A memorable moment in 21CL I will never forget is when we had Carl Azuz as a special guest and I got to personally ask him a question. I remember Carl Azuz fondly as he was an anchor on a news show for middle and high school students. I remember he came on the zoom call and my peers and I could instantly feel his energy as he was upbeat and spoke clearly. This showed me that you can greatly influence an audience by exuding confidence and great public speaking skills. After he spoke about his experience and life the organizers allotted time to ask questions and I was selected. I asked him for advice about how public speaking has allowed him to move up occupationally. His response further exemplified how important 21CL was in refining my character and its impact on my future.
Did 21CL assist you in developing a leadership style that makes you an effective leader? If so, how?
21CL assisted me in learning how to put my group members first; it was far too easy for me to branch off and complete projects and tasks solo. However, putting the group first is critical to the success of any endeavor so learning this greatly improved my leadership skills. This specifically applies to my role in extracurricular clubs I am involved in now. I am on the Georgia Tech Experimental Rocketry team within the propulsion division and organizing people around certain tasks has been made easier with my learnings from 21CL.
Why do you believe programs like 21CL are important? And what advice would you give to a current or future student?
Programs like 21CL are a gift of knowledge and experience like no other. One gets to meet new people both peers and professionals, exercise their public speaking and leadership skills, as well as be taken out of their comfort zone so they can improve. Programs like these are crucial as it’s difficult to gain the experience and knowledge by yourself or casually going about life. This focused program rapidly improves your skills and puts you ahead in life, socially and occupationally. My advice to a current/future student would be to take advantage of the network and events 21CL presents to you. You get what you put in, so make the most of the experience and push yourself so that you improve and come out a better and sharper person.
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