By Maddie Shultz

Many people assume that the key to being a leader is being in first place, having people that want to be led and ordered to do things. But physical education teacher Preston Pedersen advocated the complete opposite, “Leadership to me is not about being a boss to someone, but more like a teammate; holding everybody else above yourself.”

Delighted in the words Coach Pedersen projects, students gather at the end of an energetic lifting session to hear him speak about the importance of leadership. It is an everyday occurrence that people are improving their skills physically, while also being inspired to lead others in the Mustang Strength PE class.

“There is something bigger than me, and I want to be a part of it,” Pedersen said. His faith has driven him to be the best he can be, along with his parents’ guidance and his supportive wife who has influenced him tremendously. Pedersen puts his heart into things, teaching students the value that leadership has. Along with leadership, in class he teaches about respect, accountability, selflessness, consistency, and determination.

“Mustang Strength has taught me that it is okay to fail,” Kyle Woods, a student in Pedersen’s class said. “As long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, being accountable, and finishing through every task.”

In addition to sharing his leadership philosophy with students in Mustang Strength, he also stresses the importance of being someone who gives instead of takes in life. “I have had so many people invest in me, so I always ask myself ‘how can I do the same?’” He said his dream job has always been teaching high school students, not just how to implement fitness in their lives, but also teaching moral values that impact them, and every single person around them.