Get to Know Me
Kiley Rebekah Gould
Hello! I am Kiley Gould, a creative individual with a passion for design and innovation. I am from Hattiesburg, Miss., and will be graduating from Oak Grove High School in May. My journey in the world of marketing and communications has been filled with exciting challenges and rewarding experiences. I enjoy exploring new ideas, learning, and sharing my work with those around me. My goal is to inspire others and make a positive impact through my creations.
Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to manage multiple Instagram accounts for organizations within school and community, including First Priority, National Honor Society, and my youth group here in Hattiesburg. I have overseen the First Priority account for approximately three years, where I consistently create meeting reminders, informational story posts, and repost to communicate important updates and information. For the National Honor Society page, a peer and I were recently elected at the beginning of the year to co-partner in managing the account. Here, we highlight our student's involvement and engagement within our school and the broader community. Additionally, I started helping my youth pastor's wife in co-managing my youth group's Instagram account this year, using the platform as an outreach tool to showcase our mission and activities. Overall, through these roles, I have developed strong communication, creative and organizational skills while actively contributing to organizations that encourage leadership, service, and community involvement. I take great pride in representing all of these organizations.
This is my testimony from the week I spent in Rabinal, Guatemala. We were asked just a few days prior to this service to speak to our church. My words were written and I referenced them as I was speaking. They were authentic as I was reflecting on my passion for being a light by spreading the gospel while conquering public speaking. While I did not record the original video, I did screen capture it from YouTube and made minor edits to include it as a reference of my genuine nature.
Leadership & Team Building
The Importance of Servanthood Leadership
Leadership is about showing up for others, assisting with humility, and making a difference through everyday actions. For me, leadership is best demonstrated through servantship: giving my time, energy, and heart to help others thrive. Serving others is not only the way I prefer to demonstrate leadership, but it has also shaped me in ways I could not have imagined. While I have had many experiences serving others, one of the most impactful happened just this past summer. In July, I had the privilege of serving as a camp counselor at Abbie Rogers Civitan Camp, a week-long program designed for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It allows the families of individuals to have a week of reprieve from caring for their loved ones. The structure of the week-long camp is for each counselor to be paired with a camper. During the week, I was responsible for a 22-year-old camper, for 24 hours a day. I partnered with her during various activities and served as a liaison for the Abbie Rogers Civitan Camp staff. I stayed at the camp for an entire week with other counselors and staff whom I had never met. It was one of the most challenging experiences in leadership I have ever had because it taught me the true meaning of being selfless – giving of my whole self to help others. This specific experience shaped my understanding of leadership in meaningful ways. I was uncomfortable, but in a good way, because I extended myself beyond my “normal” in the pursuit of helping others. It does not always feel great in the moment, but the big lesson is that true leadership is about making sacrifices for others, encouraging them and showing up. It isn't about doing it for the recognition, but rather out of the love in our hearts because it is the right thing to do.
News Writing & Reporting
As a representation of writing and reporting I have opted to include writing examples from various essays I have written in the past few years.
English and writing courses have been my most enjoyed courses, as well as my strongest. It provides me with an outlet to express my creativity and imagination while also challenging me to think critically and expand my understanding of various topics. Through my deep appreciation for English and writing, I have gained a deeper appreciation for learning about the world around me. These subjects not only allow me to explore new ideas and perspectives, but it also continually pushes me to grow academically and intellectually.