In August of 2022, I was elected N’siah of Leah Faye BBG #2310, contributing to the wave of first-semester sophomore presidents hitting RMR. When it occurred to me how many of my friends had been elected, we discussed why this was. After the conversation, we all found one thing in common: the previous semester we advocated for change that didn’t happen. One of my friends had been blamed for a financial loss that she wasn’t actually responsible for, one of my friends was frustrated that gender inclusive language wasn’t being adopted widely by her chapter and region, and one of my friends knew that if he didn’t step up, his chapter would be in danger of folding. The semester before on board, we had all fought for change, and saw that there were many avoidable problems that we took the blow for. We were tired of seeing change being pushed off, and we took charge. 

During the first-semester, RMR saw 4 sophomore presidents; the second-semester saw 8 (with 2 second-term presidents). Denver has 10 chapters. 

What does this mean for the future of the region? Within the upcoming months, we can already predict that Regional Elections in April will see a record high number of sophomores running. But beyond that? I predict that the elections of the 80th and 100th International Boards will see high concentration of RMR candidates. RMR’s RB under class of 2025 leadership will see drastic changes to the region. RMR will experience never before seen globalization leadership, and will become a more recognisable and appreciated region throughout the order. 

Despite all these positives, there are negatives that may come back to bite us. This year has marked an incredible show of sophomore leadership, and hopefully it will continue on to our current Freshman. However, a more realistic scenario is they will feel pressure to hit the achievements of the grade above them. They may feel shadowed, and this could create a rift between our two grades. One thing that our grade still needs to work on is encouraging others to take leadership opportunities, and remember to remain humble. 

The Sophomore class of RMR has shown how being brave enough to make a change can change a whole world. People from all around the order are beginning to notice the change in RMR, just because 10 sophomores wanted change. Growth is possible if you step up.