My incredible experience with the Lugar Series

Article submitted by Ellie Acra

(INDIANAPOLIS) – This is Ellie Acra and I wanted to share my experience with the The Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series:

I remember coming to a Lugar Series luncheon for the first time when I was a sophomore in college. How a 20-year-old with no connections found herself at this event? That was because Decatur County Prosecutor Nate Harter introduced me to a woman who worked for Senator Todd Young.

A few weeks later, she invited me to attend. From that moment, I knew I wanted to be a member of this series someday.

This experience has been a reminder that each of us can make an impact, and often, the greatest impact starts with the small actions we can take closest to us. 

Nearly every speaker we heard from, whether they led their county party or served in the White House, said their impact started with a drive to want their local community to be better in some small way.

Look around you, see what are the needs of your community, and use your skills and talents to fill the gap. The small steps in your community and career create a compounding effect over time. 

If your mission is to serve others and leave somewhere better than you found it, the right opportunities will continue to come your way. 

The most important thing we learned from this series is the importance of servant leadership.

Leading not to serve your own interests, but to serve the interests of others.

There are many incredible people in our state, who want to uplift, support, and encourage others to do good. Even if you think there is no one cheering you on, someone is.

We often heard from the leaders who spoke to us that the path they took to their current position was not the one they expected. We all have a way of making plans just to hear God laugh!

Trust the Author with the pen to write your story. Life may take some unexpected twists and turns, but it always ends up better than anything we try to write on our own.

Without people like Nate, Greensburg Mayor Joshua Marsh, and Kristen Williams, I don’t think I would be in this room and marking this accomplishment.

Their willingness to guide me along the way provided me the ability to get involved in our state, the connections to get an internship and the ripple effect of opportunities that followed, and most importantly, the confidence that I could do it.

I’m honored to have represented Decatur County this year and thankful for all of those individuals in our community and my family who have pushed me along the way.

One last note of thanks to my Papaw, who shared with me his love of American history and the strong-willed determination to hold my own.