Sitting one long and late night in the library, I was doing what every other passionate and dedicated student does: scrolling down my Facebook page. As I was indulging in my procrastination, an ad in the top right corner caught my eye. It was for a program called the “SikhLEAD Leadership Development Program” hosted by the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF). It was a program designed to inspire, train, and support a diverse group of Sikh leaders as they train for lifetime of community engagement and leadership. Never having heard of something like this, I wasn’t really sure what this program was even going to be about and was hesitant to apply. Little did I know that those four days were going to change my life completely. 
The Leadership Development Program (LDP) helped to make me grow predominantly in two different regards. It first helped to totally transform the way I choose to carry myself as a professional and as a future leader. Growing up in a not-so-great neighborhood in Queens, my life was dominated by a lack of progressive and educated Sikh leaders. Struggling to give myself a proper education, I consistently found myself in communities in which I was the only Sikh around. And if I haven’t been the only Sikh, I’ve been the only one who comes from a place where there is no privilege or professional success. Coming to the Leadership Development Program totally opened the door to a world that I previously did not know existed. I found myself connecting with so many kind-hearted and educated Sikh American leaders from all over the world. From engineers, to social justice activists, to entrepreneurs, I was able to learn so much from people who chose to follow values of their faith and leave a mark on the fields they choose to work in. Growing up, I only knew Sikhs in the local context of temples, family and day-to-day workers. By having the opportunity to engage so many inspiration people, I am truly inspired and confident that I too will have the ability to do great things in this country while keeping the values of my faith close to me. Professionally, I have never felt so inspired before. Breaking away from different stereotypes or barriers that were meant to constrain them, countless people I met this weekend showed me that there is no obstacle before us that is to big. By following their passions, desires and values, the leaders and mentors that I met have inspired me to do the same as I build the road to my own success. Attending the annual SALDEF Gala also showed me that there is such a rich history of our people within this country. Like many other ethnic and religious groups, Sikhs have been adding beauty to the fabrication of our country for so many years and are continuing to do so. The Leadership Development Program is helping to create and cultivate the leaders that will continue to add to the history of Sikhs in the United States. 
However, the benefits of the weekend did not simply end within the words of “leadership development”. Not only did I grow as a future leader, I simply grew as a person. Both spiritually and religiously, I learned so much about myself and what my own values are. And I did not exactly learn this through all the mentors I met but rather through my fellow LDP participants. Coming in with no preconceptions of the type of people I was going to meet, I was amazed by each and every one of my fellow peers. They came from every corner of the country while having an innumerate amount of interests. They are leaders from every corner of the country, each with their own individual stories. From the West Coast to the East Coast, my fellow participants have been making positive change through so many different lenses. Even though we all believe in the Sikh faith, everyone had an interesting perspective and each individual had something new to add to our dialogues over the weekend. Even though we do come from drastically different places, what I found to be the most beautiful was how we came together as one. Whether it was going crazy with Bhangra on the dance floor or having deep talks about the Guru Granth Sahib until five in the morning, it seemed as if we knew each other for years. It was through my fellow participants where I really grew as a leader. Becoming friends with someone who has a physical disability but is still so successful has allowed me to recognize all the privileges that I have had in my own life. Learning more about the Sikh faith from another one of my fellows has pushed me to think about my own religious views and how I can become a better devotee. Watching another friend be so lighthearted and carefree even in times of adversity has shown me the way to find positivity even when I find myself in difficult situations. The list of the lessons I learned and the values I gained are endless. Perhaps through the unification of the experience, I was able to truly learn the concept of oneness. There is a light that exists within us that guides us and brings us all together through the values of peace and love. Not only did the Leadership Development Program help me to find this oneness within me, it has given me the ability to find oneness in others so that I can truly become the great leader I wish to become. –Mandeep Singh To learn more about SikhLEAD, please click here.
