Before starting Pitman, FBLA was a club I really couldn’t see myself joining. To me, it just seemed like a club for smart people who enjoyed school. Who would want to take tests for fun? I mostly joined because I knew it looked good on college applications. I never would have thought I would actually have fun on a three day trip with people I didn’t even know. My whole idea of FBLA was completely wrong. I learned that a couple of weeks ago when I went to LDI.
LDI stands for Leadership Development Institution. It was in Santa Clara and we stayed for two nights. On the trip, we attended different workshops to help us on subjects we were interested in. Different topics included traveling, public speaking, and even improving yourself. Some of the workshops were extremely boring, but others I loved! I guess it just all depends on what speaker you had and what workshop it was.
We left right after school one Friday and drove up. When we first arrived, we got out rooms situated and then went to dinner. When we got back to the hotel, we all got our swimsuits on and went down to the pool but it was already past nine so the hotel employees made us leave the pool. A few of us decided to go to the gym there since we couldn’t swim anymore. By the time we all finished working out and showering, it was just about curfew. We all decided on what workshops we were going to go to the next morning and then went to sleep.
The next morning, we had to wake up a little early and get ready to go to our workshops. The day seemed to drag on until about 5:00 PM when the work shops ended. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to go to the mall and eat before going to the gym again. This time, we didn’t stay long because it was our last night there together and we wanted to hang out before curfew. We all went into one room and hung out together, which was definitely a bonding experience for the whole group. My favorite memories included games of “Never Have I Ever” and “cud puds” (cuddle puddles) which is pretty much a group dog pile.
In my room, most of the girls stayed up for a few hours just talking. The next morning, at breakfast, we had a closing session where schools received certificates for completing the workshops. Afterwards, everyone returned home to prepare for Sections competition later this winter.
Going to LDI was an awesome experience. I had a chance to talk to people I never have before. I made some new friends and learned a lot about FBLA and the people in it. I also learned some new things in the workshops that should benefit me in different ways. Because of this trip, I am really looking forward to the exciting conferences coming up in a few months. I’m sure I will have many more wonderful experiences in my next four years being a part of Pitman High School’s Future Business Leaders of America.
