I am currently a sophomore and the treasurer of Dumbledore's Army at Stony Brook University. We represent our parent organization, the Harry Potter Alliance. Being in this club has taught me so much. One of those things is learning that I need to put myself out there to get further than my peers.

When I was a freshman, there was an opportunity in the club to join the e-board as a new student assistant type deal. Nobody raised their hand to volunteer for the job, so I did. The job required me to go to every e-board meeting and help set up and clean up all the events. It was a lot of work for a freshman, but I honestly just wanted to get some stuff on my resume right off the bat. Selfish, really.

Now, what I didn't expect was to run to become a signatory member and become obsessed with dealing with this club. But that's exactly what happened. I got the spot for treasurer, after being extremely apprehensive, I graciously accepted. We got a 101 on how to do things. It was super vague, so I was basically going into it completely blind. Within the first couple of months, I was learning how to deal with USG and club money within a week into the start of my sophomore year.

As for what I learned, it was a couple of things. I got over my anxiety of speaking in front of people. I have gotten so good at talking to people and being forward and for someone with pretty bad social anxiety, this was a huge step. Another thing is how to be responsible for the money. That is a big big big thing, especially for a club with limited funds. I really had to learn how to pinch pennies to maximize the worth of the club. It was hard saying no to fun stuff, but it's very fun having authority. I think the best thing I learned is how to become friends with people you cannot stand, but that's a story for another time.

Anyways, being in this club has truly changed my life. I'm so glad that I put myself out there in such an uncharacteristic way, and I am also glad that it actually worked out.