DAY 2 THROUGH ALICE’S EYES
I opened my eyes and saw the red numbers on the alarm clock ten inches away from my face. 6:59. I blinked my eyes while the gears in my brain started to turn slowly. Something clicked in my head and I dumped my blanket on poor Nicole to get up. State flag representatives meeting was to begin in 16 minutes... and it takes about 7 minutes to run to the meeting room. As the State President, I had the honor of carrying our state flag during the first General Session. While I stood with the flag and alternated my thoughts between “don’t trip on stage” and “I need coffee”, someone approached me and said, “Congratulations on being the first Californian to carry that flag.” All I could do was to smile while that statement sunk in. As Conference attendees started streaming into the room, music started playing and I was getting more and more excited. I could not stand still, and it took all my willpower to not start jumping around with the flag. I was finally here. After two years of being isolated in the great state of California, I was finally here along with the National TSA family. I could feel the enthusiasm reverberating through the ballroom, increasing exponentially by the second. Following the announcement of “California,” I heard cheers sprouting up from somewhere in the distance. My mind blacked out all the details besides this sound of support. With honor and gratitude, I walked across the stage, holding the flag up high. Also during the general session, I, along with five fellow Californians - Grant Shao, Vishal Bhupathiraju, Claire Huang, Nicole Chen, and Christina Chen - were inducted into Technology Honor Society. The Technology Honor Society “recognizes TSA members who excel in academics, leadership, and service to their school and community.” It was an absolute honor (no pun intended) and joy to be recognized along with my State Officer Team. The awesome pin was just a cherry on top. The rest of the day was not as glorious. First full day of National Conference means event after event after event after event. Lunch, which usually consumes majority of my morning thoughts, was the last thing on my mind as I ran through the hotel in heels. Thank goodness for trail mix. One of my favorite parts of being in TSA is becoming friends with the people I compete against. Going blind into the competition, I was unsure of what to expect. But I love how everyone is so friendly and supportive. It is refreshing to exchange tips and failure stories with competitors. But don’t get me ??? ?H ?[??[???]?\???\]]]?HY?H[???&]\?]]H ? ?[\?\?? ?[? ? \?[?? H??\]][????