On late
nights I enjoy hanging with my friends. These friends could be the ones that I
have had throughout my high school career, the ones that I met through my work
experiences at Pizza Hut, or the ones that made a difference in my life this
past year. I have made many memories with these friends, but my favorite of all
is making late night runs to IHOP. With these late nights comes great food,
deep talks, and most of all a tiring morning. These are the times that I
cherish because not only do I get to enjoy great pancakes, but I get to become
closer with my friends. This is where the “last” comes into play. One of my
best friends is heading to Tabor next year and the likeliness of both of us
seeing much of each other is slim to none. Our last late night he stated to me,
“Karl, I’m going to miss you. We both have great friends, but as of now if we
were to get married you would be my best man.” I was shocked. How do I answer
back to something like that? All I kept thinking was this is the end, this is
the final time I will have that deep conversation with a trusted friend.
Could I
have done anything different with my time with my friend? Of course I could of,
but I wouldn’t in a heartbeat. Every memory that I made is something that I
will never forget. My piece of advice is to cherish the memories that you make.
Life goes by quickly and if we don’t take some time to “smell the roses” then
we truly haven’t enjoyed the life that we have. I have made a lot of memories
with my friends, and I have made cherished memories away from home at
conferences.
I went to many conferences
throughout my lifetime, such as Washington Leadership Conference (WLC), State
Presidents Conference (SPC), and State Conference for Chapter Leaders (SCCL),
as well as many others. I absolutely love conferences! With my outgoing
personality, making friends is a must. At all of these conferences I learned
important skills and made friendships that will last a lifetime. A very
interesting lesson I have learned is how networking contributes to most of the
individuals I see throughout my lifetime. An individual I met from Iowa at WLC,
I met again at a conference this year. The friends I made at SCCL throughout my
two years as a chapter officer, I still keep in touch with to this day and see throughout
the regions of Kansas. Why are these conferences so important to me? The skills
that I learn are many, but the networking that I achieve could help further me
in my life goals.
You never
know when that member at SCCL or that friend you make at WLC could be your
coworker or even your boss. It is important that wherever I go I display a
positive image and step out of my shell and meet new people. The more and more
I meet new people, the less and less I feel uncomfortable with trying new
things and starting the conversation with random strangers. As I am finishing
up, I would like to share a few interesting facts about myself.
Fishing is my
favorite hobby; doesn’t matter what time of day, I will always be up to fish.
If you ask me, I believe I am a phenomenal cook. Although I do not cook as much
as I should, when I do I am excited to see the faces of the individuals I am
cooking for. I cherish my family and friend. I always put them before myself no
matter what situation. Finally, I have an extreme interest in quantum physics
and the M-theory, which leads to why I absolutely love science and math
courses. The picture to the left is one of my proudest chemical compounds that I made
in my AP chemistry class. 