Final Reflection

Now that I’ve gotten back to Weygand and taken a much needed nap, I’ve had time to reflect on NGLA. And although I’m still recovering from the long days and early mornings, I’m grateful that I got to experience this wonderful opportunity. Before this conference, I was honestly a little concerned that I wouldn’t belong among all the other student leaders. After all, I’ve been taught since grade school student government elections that leaders are the people who jump up on stage and give long, inspirational speeches. They’re the people who talk to everyone, know everyone, and while that’s certainly a valuable skill (which I sometimes wish I had) that’s not who I am. But at NGLA, what I learned above everything is that leadership isn’t all about going over to the student sitting alone at lunch, striking up a conversation and changing their lives. There are so many more ways to lead, and being at NGLA validated that for me.

At the end of the day, I love my organization and will do whatever I can to move it forward, to make it even better. NGLA gave me so many new tools to make that happen, whether that’s something I can do myself or something I can teach to my brothers who can build on it and carry it into the future of our fraternity. For those in my chapter who also applied this year, please, please apply again next year, the year after, every year that you are eligible. You all have so much leadership potential and this is such a fantastic opportunity to bring that out.

Thank you so much to MB and everyone else who made this opportunity possible for me.