For a good chunk of my life, I lived in the shadows. I was quiet, submissive, and indiscriminately docile. When faced with a problem, I lay passively on my back and grasped only the traces of sustenance that would keep me alive: nothing more, nothing less. In many cases, such meek behavior meant being very, very accommodating. I remember sitting on the side, very content to be the odd one out, the girl with the short end of the stick.

            But then I grew up; and God gave me a voice. It was this growth, probably triggered by my participation in programs that require certain audacity and involvement such as Youth and Government and the Global Young Leaders Conference, which I am most proud of. Now, not only do I take a stance on every issue that crosses my path, but I can express that stance enthusiastically and confidently.

When I attended the Sacramento Summit for Youth and Government, I was trained to be an attorney in the Appellate Court. Although I was slightly intimidated by being in a room full of students from all over California who I did not know, I quickly brushed off my anxiety and focused on getting the most out of the experience. For five days, our group of ‘appellate court trainees’ reviewed our given case intensively. The information we were allowed to use was kept in a thick packet, multiple brief summaries of similar cases and their outcomes. What was ironic about the whole experience was that although I had initially attended Youth and Government on a social basis, I was so drawn to the concept of pursuing a goal so adamantly, that the workload actually seemed attractive. In the end, I enjoyed not only mingling with other Youth and Government delegates, but working with these delegates to accomplish a similar end. We were repaid for our efforts with a very successful mock case. I also received multiple compliments about my eloquent tongue from a senior judge and two experienced attorneys. These flattering remarks did not only boost my confidence, it also made me more zealous about public speaking.

            My transformation has awoken a passion in me. I no longer want to ease by life oblivious and invisible to my surroundings, I want to change lives. Ambition has been weaved into my aspirations. I not only feel I have the ability to make a difference, but I believe that with the right environment I ‘will’ make a difference; I ‘want’ to make a difference.

             While I had been undeniably soft spoken and compliant to a fault when I was younger, I had been molded by leadership programs into an individual who adored public speaking and aspired to be part of something bigger in life.