A feeling that many BBYO members know is the feeling of hearing your name called as the winner of an election. Everything slows to a stop, and all you can do is take it in. This was a feeling I did not get to experience during regional elections this year, and I was gutted. I felt that all my hard work had gone unnoticed, and that maybe I hadn’t done enough. In the days following, the heartfelt support I received told me otherwise. I took time to reflect and realized that everything happens for a reason, so there must be a reason for this. As I retraced my steps from the past 2 years, I realized that it wasn’t that I hadn’t worked hard enough or that I was missing a piece, but that I had the opportunity to continue growing. 

Just two days later, I had a new responsibility. I was selected to be on the Founders’ Fest Hype Squad, and I had to take initiative and help my region prepare for events and social media campaigns. Suddenly, I wasn’t focused on what I had lost, but on what my region needed from me. So in 48 hours, I went from losing the election I wanted to making sure every part of my region was prepared for Founders’ Fest. 

It wasn’t easy to shift so quickly. The disappointment was still there. But as I checked in with the leaders in my region, I realized something important: leadership doesn’t start with a title; it starts with action. I could choose to stay stuck in my self-pity, or I could continue growing and leading in any way possible. 

So I chose to show up.

Bouncing back so quickly pushed me to lead in a different way. It meant showing up excited, supporting others, and making sure every chapter felt prepared, even when I didn’t feel 100%. In doing that, I found something unexpected: I felt just as connected, just as impactful, and just as much of a leader as the ones around me. 

That experience helped me understand what “bouncing back” truly means. It’s not about pretending that the loss didn’t hurt. It’s about turning that disappointment into motivation, and recognizing that your ability to lead isn’t defined by a single moment, but by all of them. Looking back, those 48 hours changed my perspective. I didn’t get the outcome I had hoped for, but I gained something even more valuable: a true understanding of resilience, leadership, and my role in this movement. 

To anyone who has ever felt the deep silence of not hearing their name called, your journey doesn’t end there. BBYO is built on leaders who show up, support each other, and keep going no matter what. I may not have won that day, but I am more motivated than ever to keep leading, keep growing, and keep bouncing back.