Two weeks ago, my chapter held our annual big/little reveal, which became our biggest and most successful event of the year so far. With over 30 BBGs in attendance, we were able to give all of our new members a true home in our chapter and in BBYO by introducing them to their new family. With each big/little reveal, my heart warmed a little bit more, and I thought back to when I was in our new members' shoes three years ago. As an eighth grader, I was beyond excited to meet my chapter big after communicating with her through Instagram, coordinating a matching costume, and discussing all of our similar interests. I had no idea that this girl was about to become my best friend and forever role model. 

Three years later, and we still talk virtually every day, whether it’s through text or FaceTime. She may be over a thousand miles away in New Orleans, but we are as close as ever. She guided me through every moment in BBYO: my first convention, my first chapter election, and my first regional election. I can say with absolute certainty that I would not be where I am today without her guidance. Because of my chapter big sister, my ultimate goal as my chapter N’siah has been to give that experience back to as many younger members as I can. That is why I spent over a month planning this year’s big/little event with my board to ensure that each member could have the same opportunity. 

Now that I finally have little sisters of my own, I am completely dedicated to making them feel welcomed, appreciated, and comfortable at every chapter and regional event. I hope to see them fall in love with BBYO the same way I did as an eighth grader. It’s only been a few weeks, but being a big sister has been the most rewarding experience I’ve had in BBYO, and I can’t wait to see everything that my littles will accomplish this year and next year. It’s been nothing short of incredible to see how engaged and excited each member of my chapter was at our reveal event. There was not a single second where a BBG was sitting alone, feeling isolated, or acting unhappy. Without the impact that my first big sister made on me, I would have never had this much passion for big/little, and I wouldn’t have been able to facilitate the creation of so many new sisterhoods. Thank you to my forever big sister for opening my eyes to the importance of having a role model and older best friend by my side.