Written by: Kattie Foerman, LTG of Division 2
My high school journey began as uncertain and confusing. Prior to high school I struggled with social anxiety from the harsh hit of the pandemic during the end of my 6th grade year. During COVID I was completely online in terms of schooling and in turn had little to no chance to socialize with my friends or let alone make new ones. Therefore, my friendships dwindled and ultimately, I was unable to spend time with anyone other than my intermediate family members. By the time my 8th grade year rolled around I was put back into in person learning and forced to learn how to interact with others in a real-world experience once again. I struggled heavily with this, and I stuck with old friends and hardly made any new ones.
Once I entered high school, my social anxiety was, although not as intense as before, still prominent. During one of the first days of school, we had a club introduction during our lunch periods, where all of our clubs held booths and convinced others to join. With the encouragement of one of my friends, I decided to join Key Club on a whim. I hadn’t given it much thought, but the persuasion of my friend coupled with the free lollipops they were giving out was enough to make me sign up.
Throughout this year of service, I not only was inspired by my fellow students and their ability to give speeches to our fairly large group of Key Clubbers, but also their admiration to lead and succeed. I indirectly learned how to be a bit more outgoing from this and strove to be on a similar level as our officers one day in terms of socializing and leadership.
When my sophomore year rolled around, I decided to go for an officer position, the editor of our Key Club, and to my surprise I got it. With this position I was responsible for keeping connections between our club and its members. Not only did I have to do this through the making of graphics, but I also had to overcome the difficulties of speaking in front of others. I remember our first meeting like it was yesterday. I planned my outfit for the day to make a good first impression and I reviewed the slides more times than I could count. When it came time for the meeting, I was so incredibly nervous, my palms were sweating, and my heart began to race. However, when it came to my turn to begin speaking, it got easier and easier. Eventually, speaking at these meetings would be a highlight of my term as editor and I was looking forward to each and every one.
Speaking in front of large groups was just one of the impacts Key Club has made on my life, however it was one of the most important ones of all. Without this I wouldn’t be where I am today. Furthermore, because of this newfound confidence, my ability to communicate and interact with others has increased exponentially. Now my friend groups have tripled in size and I find myself continuing to make new friends each and every day. Without Key Club I would still be my old, conserved self, but now I can take charge and lead with confidence.
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