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Leader for Life: Tori Allen on Leadership
Climbing, Youngest woman to summit The Nose, El Capitan, Yosemite, Calif.; X Games gold medalist

Leadership means doing what is right, being strong and not being afraid to go out of the box to be different—even if that means standing out in school or not being popular. At school, you’re getting your lunch and the so called “popular” people say, “Oh, come sit with me,” but someone is sitting all alone, so you go sit with them. That is leadership.

I think I’m a leader. But I mess up. I give into peer pressure sometimes, just like everyone. The more that you’re around it, the easier it gets. If you say “no” one time, the next time it’s going to be a little bit easier. The more you stand up and you lead, the more natural it becomes.

Last year during school, this kid in my honors history class stole test answers and everyone knew. They were all getting the answers from him. I didn’t want to see them. And they made me a copy and put my name on the top of it. And I was like, “I don’t want them.” So I ripped them up, and I didn’t look at them.

Well, I got a C on the final—the lowest grade in the class. But I really studied hard. It was so frustrating that everyone cheated and got A’s and B’s. My teacher was like, “I’m so proud, your class did the best; you must have studied so hard.” And so I went up to her and told her that one of her students stole the test answers.

I felt so bad. I know it was the right thing to do, but I still felt horrible. I messed it up for everyone—they all got D’s, so my grade was the highest. I felt bad, but I know I was being a leader by doing it. Now teachers thank me, and I look back on it and feel proud for being honest and strong.