The impact of joining a BBYO chapter can be life-changing if you give it a real chance. I joined at the beginning of my freshman year of high school, the same way that many other BBGs and Alephs did: by getting recruited. At this time, I did not feel very connected to my Jewish identity and did not know how much of a role this community would play in my life. I was notified of my chapter’s beginning-of-the-year beach kickoff, and even though I did not know what to expect, I decided to go and try it out. 

Over the coming weeks before the kickoff, I started to doubt myself. I barely knew anyone, and I hadn't been very connected with much of the Jewish community around me for many years. However, I still decided to go and see if BBYO would be something I would like to do. 

As soon as I arrived, I felt the warmth and comfort of my chapter and this organization, and my nerves faded. Everyone was so excited to see each other and just so happy to be there. What I found especially encouraging for me was hearing the stories from my chapter's board and my regional N’siah. They talked about the impact BBYO has had on their life, and it was much greater than I ever expected. They shared stories about IC, BBYO leadership, and friendships with people from all over the world. This day changed my whole perspective on the type of BBG I would like to be. Now I am excited to become more involved and try my best to help my chapter and region.  

Let's fast forward to CVR’s regional kickoff, CVRnival. This event sounded like so much fun, so I just knew I had to go. Even so, I was in almost the same spot as the chapter kickoff. I knew a few more people from my chapter, but that was about all. I still had no clue who most of the people were in my large region. 

When I arrived, it was only me and 2 other friends walking around the JCC. We didn’t know what to do or how to make the most of our time. Luckily, we were introduced to a group of 3 other freshmen who were in a very similar situation. We all quickly bonded and ended up having a great time! Over the course of those few hours, I made so many memories with people who had been strangers at the start of the night. I went walking with my new friend Molly, who is now one of my best friends, and talked with another new friend, Kami, about our similar experiences on high school cheer teams. 

By the end of my second month in BBYO, I was already going to one of the biggest events of the year, Fall Convention. This weekend didn’t start exactly how I expected, but it ended up being one of the most meaningful experiences I’ll always remember. Since I had to cheer at a Friday night football game, I arrived a few hours late, which was a little stressful. When I got there, I had to wait a bit to get into my room, but once I finally settled in, things started to turn around and feel better. I had previously won a snack package from my chapter, packed with my favorite sweets and snacks for the weekend. This immediately excited me for the next 2 days of this weekend!

The next morning, I decided that I wanted to try to meet more people from around the region. The only problem was that I wasn’t quite sure how to do so. Luckily, Molly, a friend I had met at CVRnival, texted me at lunch that day. She asked if I would want to join her table with the girls she had met the night before. I went over right away, as I knew this could be a fantastic opportunity. This table had girls from all over the region, some who knew each other before, and many who had just met at the convention. Yet we all shared a common excitement for the weekend, which then turned into the Freshmeat (kosher) group chat that I still love so much to this day. Sitting at that table, I felt included and excited to be part of it all. 

Looking back, Fall Convention helped me feel more motivated to keep showing up and made me feel like I really belonged in BBYO. So when the chance to sign up for CLTC came just one week after Fall Con ended, it didn’t feel scary at all. I decided to go for it, and I'm even going with some of my friends that I met at Fall Con. It feels exciting to take this step and grow even more as a BBG. 

Finally, if you are new to BBYO, make sure to put yourself out there, even if it’s scary at first. I know it could be intimidating to walk into events where you don’t know anyone, which was how I felt at my chapter and regional kickoff. But the more you show up, the more opportunities you will get to meet amazing people, make new friends, and get involved. For me, that means meeting my best friend at CVRnival, finding my group at Fall Con, and even signing up for CLTC a week later. BBYO gives you so many chances to grow and become the best member and version of yourself, but only if you put yourself out there first.