Starting my freshman year at North Augusta High School, I found myself still fixed in the egotistical 8th grade mindset; I was far superior to all other students because of my status …show more content…
Palmetto Girls State is a one-week leadership and citizenship training program to teach rising senior girls about state and local government and citizenship through mock campaigns, elections, and speeches. Delegates also learn about the principles of citizenship and public service from guest speakers, expert panels, and other delegates attending. This experience pushed me beyond my limits socially and I found a new part of myself. I had to live amongst other girls from across the state and interact with them for a week. When I entered the small brick dorm where I was to live with twenty-five strangers for a week, I was faced with an empty corridor with a huge industrial staircase. I began to climb the three flights of metal steps to the third floor, lugging my suitcase behind me, I suddenly felt anxious. How was I supposed to become friends with these strangers, let alone live with them? When I finally reached the third floor, exhausted, I discovered a couple of other delegate girls mingling in the empty hallway with the same nervous look about them. As I realized that they were just as petrified as me, I decide to break the ice by introducing myself as I had done numerous times before. Immediately, the tension began to ease and we became close friends. Without the initial spark my freshman year, tackling this obstacle would have been nearly