I first started going to USPS functions with my mom when I was around 12 years old.  I’ve been to numerous national conventions and countless state ones. I was a member of the BRATS, Bringing Real Attributes to Society, division of the National League of Postmasters, and when I aged out of that, I continued on in the Auxiliary as the national secretary of the organization.  Through this involvement, I had the opportunity to meet two Postmaster Generals and several national board members, as well as hundreds of postmasters from nearly every state. I got to sit in on meetings at a very young age that discussed some of the very complex issues that plague Postmasters and other postal employees every day.  

In addition to developing an enormous pool of knowledge about the Post Office that I will probably never need, I also learned a lot about life and careers in general.  Attending conventions at such a formative age taught me how important it is to get involved as much as possible in whatever it is you do. The people who go to conventions get access to speakers from across the country, experts in a wide range of areas.  Not only that, but they then have the opportunity to connect with their peers from the other side of the country they would never have the chance to meet otherwise. 

Jumping off of a childhood filled with memories of walking the Hill to talk to senators in Washington D.C., listening to Chris Gardner give the keynote speech in Anaheim, California, and having social hour at Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans, I dove headfirst into my own professional organizations when I began my degree in court reporting.  Okay, to be fair, that last one didn’t actually take place in my childhood. I assure you, my mom brought me to that bar on Bourbon Street when I was 22! Promise! But because of those experiences, I learned that not only is it important for you in your career to attend conventions, but it is also a great opportunity to make friends with people who really understand your daily struggles.  

I have spent so many afternoons on the couch doing homework or reading a book and overhearing conversations my mom is having with her fellow postmasters, helping them through an issue with a clerk, carrier, fellow postmaster, supervisor, or customer.  Colleagues can find solace in knowing that they are not the only ones struggling with their jobs. Conventions give you that network. I, as a non-postal worker, still got so much out of going to League, NAPUS, and UPMA conventions.

The Auxiliary is important because it brings in the families of the postmasters and managers and helps them understand the struggles that their family members are going through.  It gets them involved and invested in the issues. BRATS is a great way to turn a convention into a family vacation. The kids get to go on field trips to the local sights and learn about a culture that is different from their own.  BRATS has its own form of government where the kids serve on the board as secretary, treasurer, vice president, or even president. It’s a fun, educational way to get them to learn about how government functions on a small scale because they are making friends and having adventures.  And while they are occupied, you get to focus on your convention experience. And there is still time to do things together as a family, too.

Following my mom to conventions, attending seminars, getting involved in BRATS and Auxiliary, and learning about real-world issues at a young age set me up so well to be a hard-working, involved professional when I finally grew up and decided what I wanted to do with my own life.  I have so many great memories and connections from conventions that I carry with me as I get involved in my own profession. Bring your spouses and children to the convention because they will get more out of it than you could imagine!