We’re all leaders in some shape or form. Many of us try to get involved in activities to better ourselves. But, let’s face it, some of us are just better at it than others.

Sure, some students score touchdowns and some ace their tests. But there are those who influence everyone around them be better people – students who take time out of their busy college schedules to help others.

These are the people who join do-gooder groups for reasons other than the resume-building possibilities.

They’re never going to ask for recognition, even though they deserve it. And they’re less likely to get it than a soccer star or someone who aces their LSATS.

Take, for example, the students who, week after week, go to Des Moines every Thursday morning for Breakfast Club. They certainly aren’t getting up at 6 a.m. for fame and glory. They’re doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.

And what about Simpson’s Habitat for Humanity? It’s not like any members are going to be getting shoe deals for building houses.

Or how about the students who signed up for the fall break trip to Mississippi to help with rebuilding? They’re not going for the parties. They just want to help the area regain a sense of normalcy. Many selfless Simpson students quickly volunteered to go on the trip.

Several outstanding volunteer student leaders currently inhabit the Simpson campus: senior Kat Fenneman, senior Amanda Haag, junior Jennifer Bryant, junior Amanda Sheller and sophomore Nathan Arentsen, to name but a few. There are certainly students missing from this list – and that’s the point. The people not named here deserve recognition too.

Leaders who focus on community service may not always get the respect that should be given to them. And they’re not likely to get that respect in the form of flashy rewards or wide-spread recognition. So tell them thank you.