This article is written in honor of Corey Frazier, a member of my local YMCA Leaders Club who recently passed away in a tragic accident. Corey embodied the spirit of YMCA Leaders Club and Blue Ridge Leaders School. Rest in peace, Corey.

When I was invited to join Leaders Club as a shy 13-year-old at YMCA summer camp, I was shocked. I didn't think I was good enough to be considered a "leader." I could barely even speak to people without getting nervous!

According to my local YMCA's website, the mission of YMCA Leaders Club is "to develop leadership skills through training in physical education, in working with children, and in learning to work with a team of like-minded teens committed to their community."

Leaders Club did all of those things for me and more.

When I decided to join Leaders Club, I had no idea that it would impact my life so much.

At the first meeting, I didn't really talk to anyone. People talked to me, though, and that intimidated me. Why did they want to talk to me? I wasn't interesting. I wasn't worthy. They were so outgoing and I wasn't. I was that shy girl who sat in the corner of the room.

I went home confused but intrigued. I told myself that although I was uncomfortable, I would continue coming to the meetings. People seemed to love Leaders Club. I was determined to find out why.

(My first picture as an official Leaders Club member. This was taken in 2011 with an old smartphone. Don't judge.)

At later meetings, the older members began talking about something called "Blue Ridge." They spoke about it with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. After listening to them, I learned that it was Blue Ridge Leaders School, a leadership school in North Carolina that consisted of teenagers from Leaders Clubs across the South.

They said that while at Blue Ridge they made friendships that would last forever. They learned so much about themselves and others and wanted other people to see that for themselves.

I was convinced. I decided to go to Blue Ridge. I had no idea what I was signing up for, but I wanted to try it. I wanted the life-changing experience that everyone else had.

Honestly, the first few days of Blue Ridge were miserable for me. I missed home. I felt like I didn't belong. Everyone else had friends already. I had no idea how to make friends. I felt like an outcast.

If it wasn't for the wonderful counselor I had and for my fellow club members, I probably wouldn't have returned to Blue Ridge. The last few days were the best days of my life. For a class I was in we had to write a letter to ourselves, and I wrote this:

"Before I leave the mountain, I want to complete my total first year. I didn't really like Blue Ridge the first few days, and I want to make up for those miserable days I had.

To do that, I will be my genuine self. I am a girl with a good attitude who loves to laugh and make people happy. I won't have second thoughts about what others think about me, and if I do it's their loss."

(Yep, that's 13-year-old me. I realize I probably should have dyed my roots. And look at those awkward braces.)

I put myself out there even though I was terrified. I made some friends. I realized that I wasn't as weird as I thought I was...and that people seemed to like me. I needed to have confidence in myself and my abilities. I gained self-confidence. This was a big step for me because I never thought I could begin to love myself.

I came back to Blue Ridge for my second year...and I returned for four years after that to complete the six-year curriculum.

Each year I developed more skills. I learned how to better serve people at the YMCA and in the community. I learned how to inspire others in my local Leaders Club. I especially learned why I was fit to be a leader and why I mattered. I never believed that before, but the wonderful people at Blue Ridge helped me realize my potential.

In 2015, I became the secretary of my local YMCA's Leaders Club. Who knew that the girl who sat in the corner afraid to speak to anyone would ever obtain a leadership position?

I soon realized that I had already made an impact on others in the club. The younger members came to me for advice. I started to become a mentor to others, just like how I looked up to the older members and trusted their passion for Blue Ridge when I first joined. I was becoming the leader that I didn't even know existed.

In 2016, I became the president of my local YMCA's Leaders Club. My advisor asked me to take the position. He said that I had a passion for Leaders Club that he had never seen before. I was completely taken aback by his offer. I realized how much I had grown over my six years in Leaders Club. I no longer feared speaking to others. In fact, I loved speaking in front of people. I loved taking charge.

My sixth and final year at Blue Ridge was incredible and challenging. I had to do challenging physical activities. We did mountain biking, and I failed miserably. I was the last person to finish, and I fell over 100 times (I did count). I came out of that forest with cuts and bruises all over my arms and legs. Yet my fellow leaders cheered for me. I was proud of myself even though I was in pain.

Perhaps the best (and quirkiest) part of my sixth year at Blue Ridge was that we were able to bond over something as small and ridiculous as a bent pan that one of my fellow Leaders found outside. We chanted and praised the pan during meals and took a majestic picture of it on top of the mountain.

In the words of my fellow sixth year Leader Noah, "The fact that we all shouted about something as seemingly ridiculous as a bent pan is an indicator of just how close we grew over our six years together."

(Here is the pan in all of its wonder.)

I also took a class called Sixth Year Summit. In this class we reflected on our six years at Blue Ridge and what we learned in Leaders Club. I shared some things about myself that I had never told anyone.

For the longest time, I believed I was weak because of my mental health issues. Sharing my story and realizing how supportive everyone else was helped me realize that I wasn't weak; I was strong.

When I was given my six-year jacket, I started crying. I couldn't believe that I did it. I persevered through the discomfort I felt during my first year. I blossomed into the leader I was meant to become. It was all because the director of the YMCA summer camp thought I was fit to be a leader.

(Here I am with my sixth year jacket. You can see the genuine happiness on my face!)

Leaders Club changed my life. I was sad to leave my local YMCA when I went to college, but I will never forget its impact on my life and will continue to help my local Leaders Club as much as I can.