As 2024 comes to a close and I reflect on my past year in BBYO, I am filled with gratitude for the experiences that have shaped both my present and my future BBYO journey. My journey is not over yet, so I cannot confidently say that this has been my best year, but I can say that it is the most meaningful one thus far.

One of the moments that truly shaped this BBYO year was when I lost S’ganit at my chapter’s spring term elections. At that moment, I felt like I had hit a wall. I felt lost, unsure of what to do and what would come. However, I did not know it at the time, but losing S’ganit was truly a blessing in disguise. I decided to slide to Gizborit as a last resort because I could not see myself not being on board. I won Gizborit, and with it, I felt a whole new door in BBYO had opened up for me. Being Gizborit was truly such a meaningful position for me; I loved all that the position had to offer. The Gizborit is the foundation of a chapter; however, it was less consuming than being S’ganit, so the time flexibility allowed me to explore other leadership opportunities such as regional steering.

I applied to steer Tournies, an all-nighter spirit convention in my region. Being on the other side of a convention I loved so much was an incredible opportunity that was both fun and rewarding. I learned how to write and lead programs on a regional and bigger level and developed my teamwork skills to another level. For anyone that has ever felt discouraged from losing a position, just remember that everything happens for a reason. For me, losing S’ganit led me to find Gizborit, a position that I truly loved and that rewarded me in countless ways.

As the Spring term came to a close, I had a decision to make. Would I rerun for Gizborit, a position that I truly loved, or would I challenge myself and run for N’siah? I chose the latter, and I was elected as my chapter’s Fall Term 2024 N’siah. After Fall elections, I was looking forward to my summer, specifically for CLTC. At CLTC 2, I furthered my leadership abilities, engaged in deep and meaningful programming, and met some of my best friends. Everything I had been told about CLTC was true—it really was the best 12 days of my life. I will cherish the time I spent at CLTC for the rest of my BBYO journey.

With the end of the summer came the start of my N’siah term, which is now nearly halfway done. I have spent it leading a wonderful board filled with both newer members and older ones, as well as both upper and lowerclassmen. This term, like everything else in BBYO, has gone by faster than I could have imagined. I can’t wait to see what my future in BBYO holds because if I have learned one thing, it is that you can’t always plan and predict what will happen.

My biggest piece of advice for anyone reading this who has recently joined BBYO is to cherish all the time you have and take every opportunity given to you. If you are lucky, you have five BBYO years to use however you choose. These years may seem like a long time, but really, they will slip through your fingers, so live them to the fullest.