Driving to the Bridgewater Marriott, where my first regional convention was held, my heart was racing with nerves and excitement. I was so excited to be at the convention because I was friends with a lot of older people from my chapter. I was so hyped that I got there an hour before the buses and sat in my room. Fun fact: I couldn't figure out how to turn on the lights so I sat in the dark. When my roommates walked in, I was so excited to meet them. I roomed randomly so I was paired up with these girls from the same council as me. As the weekend went on, they would meet up with their other friends while I was left in the room, and although they didn't mean it, I felt alone. My entire opinion on BBYO changed, especially during Havdalah when the people I was with did not include me in the big circle. Feeling unwanted and unappreciated, I decided to just go to the bathroom. I spent hours in the bathroom that night and I felt like nobody even realized I had left. About three hours went by, and I missed an hour and a half of the dance, until one of the seniors in my chapter found me and just gave me a hug. She got two of the other seniors in my chapter, and I told them all what happened. They assured me that I would find my place eventually within BBYO, and shared stories similar to mine. After that, they told me how they fell back in love with BBYO, despite the hardship. I will be forever thankful for those three girls, and I don't know if I would be where I am in BBYO today without them noticing me that day. This is why the seven second rule that BBYO has is so important. If you see someone standing alone for more than seven seconds, go talk to them. Invite someone to sit with you during a meal. Call them over to dance with you, or even just ask them what their name and chapter are. Not knowing who I was rooming with was scary, but as the days went on, the people that I met have been some of the best people I have met in bbyo. This weekend introduced me to convention culture as well. This inspired me to apply for steering positions and an open chapter board position.

In late December 2021, I was informed that there was an opening for chapter Shli. Loving spirit, I decided to run for the position mid-year. I ended up serving for the 2021 programming year, and I ran again this year and won. You could be the reason why somebody runs for chapter board, signs up for another convention, or even as little as shows up to another chapter meeting. Be the person that you wish others were to you and remember that whatever you put into BBYO is what you will get out of it.