This year, I joined millions of other high school seniors around the world who are facing the realities of our future and trying to write our Common Application personal statements. Between essays, grades, tests, and more, we have been filling out questions university by university, repeating the same information with each submission. As this time of stress and intense workload comes to an end, all I find myself reflecting on the past four years in high school and seeing how much has changed.

I joined BBYO in eighth grade, excited to finally be a part of a community larger than just myself and determined to make as many new friends as possible. However, most of the other members of my chapter were significantly older than I was, and I felt like I just didn’t fit in. So I quickly became inactive. I would see their posts, all the new members joining, and feel a longing to go back. When I got the opportunity, I did not hesitate to attend my first event after my return.

​I came back the summer before my sophomore year and never looked back. I planned countless Saturday night events, doing random crafts and talking to so many new people. I showed up to Friday night shabbats, bonding with my fellow BBGs while eating yummy snacks along the way. I also had the opportunity to organize a regional business meeting, helping to edit and rewrite the region's constitution. I went to regional events, dancing and singing along to my favorite songs and bonding with so many friends, both new and old. Last year, I even got to attend the BBYO International Convention (IC), meeting people from all over the world who have so much in common with me.​

All of these memories swirled in my brain as I tried to encapsulate them all in my Common App responses. My activities list was half-filled just by leadership positions, but my essays swarmed with references to my many roles.

After taking a moment to reflect,  I realized there was no way to truly encapsulate my experience here.

BBYO has completely shaped who I am as a person, and I was expected to fit it into 150 characters? 150 characters to describe the life-long friendships I’ve formed. 150 characters to describe the endless memories I’ve created. 150 characters to describe how my leadership skills, as well as all my other soft skills, were shaped by my roles. 150 characters to reminisce on something that has so significantly changed my life.

This 150-character limit has felt impossible to follow, but at least I know BBYO will always be with me. All the times I got to lead an event, the members I have gotten to induct, the endless supply of pizza and Caesar salad eaten on Saturday nights, will all stay with me through not only this journey but the next and the next.

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