Naturally, I'm an introvert towards new people. It was hard for me to go out of my shell and make new friends. High school is a very judgmental place and the need to fit in is quite normal, I believe. I had a few close friends and I knew, eventually, I'd make more.

My high school was only 10-12th graders, so my sophomore year I was just starting to get settled into everything new. I was in the band and on the tennis team and met some of my closest friends there. Other friendships sprung from random classes, but those were mostly just school friendships, rather than anything deeper.

A friend I had since elementary school kept talking about this club that she was in. She kept saying I should join and experience it with her. I'd hear announcements over the school intercom about it every once in a while and was interested. This club was called Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) through the Family and Consumer Sciences Department. So, my junior year I decided to join and see what this was all about. I went to a couple meetings and still wasn't really sure. I was new to it and did not know what I was supposed to do. Then my friend who first talked about it mentioned STAR (Students Taking Action for Recognition) Events. These are competitive events that are on particular subjects of your choice relating to the FCS field. My advisor asked me a few questions and ultimately decided that music and my want to help people were two things that really stood out about me. She recommended I compete in an Illustrated Talk Event. I took on the challenge and, to this day, that was the best decision I could have made.

This event was basically a 10-minute speech with the use of visuals. I chose to talk about how music therapy can help with depression. As mentioned before, I was in band. I thought, "well since I'm giving a speech about music and I play music, I could use this to my advantage". I decided to play my flute for part of the introduction and conclusion of that speech.

My senior year I competed in the same category. This time the topic was on the five stages of grief and the grieving process.

We had around 3-4 months to complete the project. Then there was regional competition. If we scored high enough from the judges, we moved onto state competition. Then at the state competition, we competed against everyone else in the state that was in our category. Only the top 2 in each category moved on to the national competition. I was fortunate enough to make it to nationals both my junior and senior year of high school.

Because of this club, I was able to make friends and incredible memories. I was able to travel to the Wisconsin Dells by going to the state competition. I was able to travel to Washington DC and San Diego, CA for nationals. I was able to achieve so much and push through my fear of public speaking. In fact, I came to love giving speeches. I was able to become so proud of myself and those around me who were achieving their goals and working towards their dreams.

Joining a club, very similar to a sports team, changed me and my high school experience. I still was not a fan of high school altogether, but FCCLA, along with being on the tennis team, gave me the best memories. Memories that I will always cherish.

Join a club or a team, get yourself out there and then look back on the memories. You'll be glad you did.