At the end of last school year, I struggled to find the right words to express how I was feeling. I had lost not one, but two elections and didn’t know what was next for me. It was this past summer, however, when I took a step back from BBYO, I realized that this, just like everything, happened for a reason.

Last year, I was my chapter’s S’ganit. I filled in for various board positions, was part of many RLN and ILN programs, steered multiple conventions, attended CLTC 4, and attended every regional, chapter, and international event. I did all this for many reasons, but one that stands out was to make up for lost time. I didn’t become active until halfway through sophomore year, but once I started, I loved everything I was doing and was eager to build up my platform for the Regional Board. 

By December I started to feel burnt out. With that said, I still showed up every day with a smile on my face. I continued to give everything I did my all and push through. When the regional elections came, I lost. It was upsetting as I felt as if all my hard work wasn’t paying off. While it didn’t happen overnight, I realized that I was forgetting the big picture. I learned so much, I loved all the work I did, and I encouraged so many people in their BBYO journey. My work wasn’t for nothing, and I owed it to myself to give it one more shot. While I unfortunately lost that election too, I had a changed perspective. It’s weird to say, but I was glad I lost. Don’t get me wrong, I would have been happy if I had won, but this felt like it was meant to be. 

I decided to give my all to my position as S’ganit. I made it my goal to help rebuild my chapter, and I even ended up winning S’ganit of the Year in GAR! While I wasn’t perfect, that year taught me how to recover when things don’t go as planned, how to be a leader, that it is OKAY to ask for help, and last, but most certainly not least, that mental health is important. I learned and accepted my limits. 

As my camera roll sits full of memories from last year, I can see everything that I have accomplished. All of the flyers and post-event Instagram posts, screenshots of texts, pictures from my chapter’s Instagram, and happy times captured with my friends are a testament to all that I learned, experienced, and overcame.