morning, to watch the semifinals and learn as much as he could from the other teams we were up against. He claims it was from his own anxiety, but it showed how much work he would put into our team. He pushed us to learn more, while also having fun in the process. We really couldn’ t have done it without him. Overall: Since we had made it to finals, if I wanted to compete next year, I had to play Intermediate. I probably won’ t make the team next year, because intermediate is a much more advanced group of information to learn, which I probably won’ t master by next year( I was expecting to stay in novice for another 3 years …..). But now, I realize that I still want to go to the convention. Originally, I nervously had signed up just so I could compete in Certamen, but now, I realize all the fun in the other competitions, the tastiness of free doughnuts, and the spirit that inhabits everyone in the Virginia delegation. Now, I want to come back for the people. The convention was an incredible point in my life, as I became more independent, more confident, more social, and even learned how to use a GPS correctly! I can’ t wait to come back next year.