Recently, I was informed that I had been chosen as a Junior Counselor for Tar Heel Girls State this coming summer. The excitement was unbelievable, between screaming and immediately logging on to Facebook to tell everyone.
After the excitement died down, I began to think how great of an honor this position would be for me. I wondered who else would be allowed this opportunity alongside me and how great it was going to be to have the opportunity to give the delegates for this yearís Girls State the amazing memories that they will always carry with them.
I then thought back to the week that I spent on Catawbaís campus. It was the first week of summer, as well as my 17th birthday. To me this was an incredible time of the year, with the warm air, new people and a week of learning about government procedures.
Looking back on this past summer and forward to the summer ahead, I cannot help but think about how much I have grown from the people I have met and the experiences in between.
My summer started just as any other, packing in preparation to go to one of the many camps I would be attending. This was not just a camp though, it would help to show what kind of college I would want to attend, broaden my love for government and prove that all walks of life can coexist if they only have one or two things in common.
The first day in our general meeting we had to sit with our ěcity.î All I could think was, ěWow, this is shaped a lot like Mars Hill (student council camp).î With speakers, girls being assigned to certain colors , cities or councils, it seemed like it would work similar, if not the same as Student Council camp. However, I was wrong. My house mother, counselor and junior counselors became kids again, playing games to teach us and celebrating the good times with us. My fellow delegates became like sisters, helping each other plan certain things, work on bills and get ready for the banquet at the end of the week.
I was sitting in class today thinking about all of these great experiences and memories and how I would be a part of making that happen for the delegates this coming June. Without the opportunity to be a delegate last year, I would not have the opportunity placed before me now. Being a JC this summer I have the ability and responsibility to help mold the love of learning into something much more for the delegates for this upcoming summer.
Anita Overstreet is a senior at East Rowan High School.