This past weekend was filled with anxiety, last-minute studying, excitement, bittersweetness, and pure joy. The rollercoaster of emotions I underwent was a direct result of my experiences at the DECA state conference in San Antonio, a trip that I had been highly anticipating ever since the district competition had ended back in January. All the DECA state qualifiers from across the district met up early Thursday morning to board charter buses to San Antonio, to begin the five hour drive to our hotel on Riverwalk. This state competition in particular meant the most to me personally, because out of all three DECA state conferences I have participated in, this one had the potential to qualify me and my partner, Shivani, for the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California. Being able to explore the amazing city of Anaheim with my friends and meet talented and ambitious individuals from across the world at ICDC would be the trip of a lifetime. The pressure of doing well in our event started to build as we attended the Texas DECA Opening Ceremony on Thursday night and crammed in some last-minute studying before our event time early the next morning. Shivani and I made the walk across the street from the hotel to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and waited anxiously outside the competition room at 8:00 am. The good thing about having such an early competition time was that we had the rest of the day to explore the Riverwalk and everything that San Antonio had to offer! By 9:30 am, we were changed out of our business professional clothing, ready to make the most of the rest of our trip. We ate delicious food at restaurants on the Riverwalk, took a boat tour of the San Antonio river, and made new friends from schools across the state. That night was a Texas DECA casino night, where the over four thousand state competitors were given a chance to meet each other and form new friendships. It was a great time, and reminded me of my love for the social aspect of conferences like this one. Saturday was our last day in San Antonio, and it started off early with the Awards Ceremony and Closing Session. This was by far the most nerve-wracking two hours of my entire trip, and I’m sure that all the other DECA members in the ballroom felt the same way. As I sat there waiting for results, I realized that winning my event would mean more than a trophy and bragging rights- it would mean my third ICDC experience, a trip to Anaheim, and an amazing way to close off my last year of high school. The moment came when Shivani and I heard our names called by the emcee. Walking up to the front of the ballroom was surreal, and those few minutes on the stage made the hours of preparation and studying worth it. The other girls that we roomed with on the trip qualified for Internationals as well, and that made everything that much more exciting. Overall, this weekend was one of the best I’ve had this year without a doubt. DECA ICDC in April will be a time of growth of my knowledge in business, an opportunity to network with students across the globe, and a trip that will be one of the shining highlights of my senior year.
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I spent this week preparing for the tests and competitions that are rapidly approaching! With this week being the end of the fourth six weeks, my teachers have been assigning the last major grade tests and essays to wrap up the grading period. On top of preparations for my core classes, my ISM speech is on Tuesday. I have been preparing for this upcoming speech for the past few days, and hopefully I’ll be able to effectively present my research and original work thus far in the year under Dr. Gerlacher. Something else exciting that is coming up is a trip to the DECA State Conference in San Antonio on Thursday and Friday. I am really looking forward to getting to compete against talented individuals in different business events, meet new people from across the state, and explore the Riverwalk with friends. I will definitely be spending time in these next few days studying with my DECA partner, Shivani, so we are as prepared as possible at the competition. This weekend is a three-day weekend, which has thankfully given me the opportunity to be able to do my homework and spend time catching up with friends. I cannot wait to share my original work with my classmates on Tuesday! After I give my speech, I will officially be done with the fourth six weeks of my senior year. I am looking forward to my speech and I am very excited for my upcoming trip to San Antonio on Thursday! I have come to the conclusion that high school is a true testament to how well a person can balance their responsibilities. These past few years of my life have been filled with experiments in the different amounts of time that I can devote to different priorities in my life. Simply stated, being able to make time for homework, a job, a social life, and simple downtime to relax is a feat that is not easily accomplished. Oftentimes, certain things have to be compromised in order to focus your efforts on other tasks. Time and time again, I have found myself struggling in one aspect due to the sacrifices I’ve had to make to prioritize other responsibilities. Reflecting back on my senior year so far, I have definitely felt the pressure of wanting to fulfill all the different things I devote myself to amongst the craziness of high school. These upcoming few weeks in particular will test my balancing abilities. In ISM, there is a 15-minute speech rapidly approaching, in which I will present my original work process and pediatric urgent care center business plan. This week will also be filled with major grade tests in my physics, calculus, literature, and economics classes, which will of course require a healthy amount of studying and preparation for. Something to definitely look forward to is my trip to San Antonio in two weeks for the DECA State Conference! I am so excited to be able to explore the city with fellow DECA members and participate in competitive business events with my partner, Shivani. The rest of this month will require a valiant effort on my part in terms of prioritizing and getting things done to the best of my abilities. Hopefully my balancing act pays off!
February is officially here, and I am getting back into the rhythm of senior year after the crazy past few weeks of the DECA district competition, Research Showcase, and my weekend in Austin for Youth and Government State conference. This week, I focused my time on ISM final product brainstorming, projects in AP Art, and homework in my core classes. With the instrumental guidance of Dr. Gerlacher, I have locked down an idea for my final product that will incorporate both pediatrics and the business aspect of healthcare into one project. I worked on creating a product proposal for ISM that explains the purpose of my product and sets a timeline for the steps I need to take to make sure everything is completed and finalized by Final Presentation Night in May. We have our 20-minute ISM original work speeches coming up quickly in the next two weeks, which I need to begin preparing for! Public speaking is definitely a daunting task for me, but I know that my experiences in ISM practicing and honing in on interpersonal speaking skills through the various speech opportunities will benefit me immensely in college and beyond. This month is off to a productive start, and I am determined to make the most of it by devoting time to my classes, from Art Drawing to Physics 2, and to my ISM-related endeavors. Happy February! |
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