Before I came to my school, I did not have a talent. I could not throw or catch a ball, carry a tune, or dance gracefully. I felt as if everyone had something they were good at expect for me. I even felt as if it was too late for me to find an interest since everyone already had a  talent. Little did I know, my quality of being a leader would shine. As I found my place, I also found a way to use my leadership qualities. My leadership qualities and passion for creating joy for others led me to finally finding the right way to use my interests. Thankfully, I finally found my interest and something that I was good at, and it was Board.

Board was something different for me, mainly because I have never been on Student Council before. Also, I was never the kind of person to say a punny speech in front of hundreds of girls or teach funny cheers. However, Board stood out to me which is why I wanted to be elected on the first day of 8th grade. Ever since then, I have been on Board and loved every minute of it. As I had no idea what Spirit Day was, but I quickly learned what the perfect costume and cheer entailed. Every costume needed to be perfect, plenty of details and color yet simple enough to construct hundreds in a short amount of time. I also learned how vital the Butterfly Legacy was and how easily the classes before us spread joy to others around school. It became my mission to spread even more joy and carry on the legacy they created, which is exactly what being on Board allowed me to do.

Throughout the years, I have seen the smiles and excitement Spirit Day and Gym Day bring to others. Not only the day itself but also my creativity that I displayed through costumes and cheers made my classmates excited which brought me joy. As I smelt the candy my friends and I were eating, saw the flashes from the cameras surrounding me, and heard the words of encouragement and good luck; I got to witness my own talent along with everyone around me. As I saw the gift of joy being displayed on others, it gave me my own sense of joy knowing I found something I was good at that made my classmates happy.

The moment where I felt as if I made my classmates the happiest is Gym Day of our Junior Year. Leading up to Gym Day, many were doubtful of what Board had created. We practiced the same cheers over and over again, struggled to get the words right. We ran the skit many times, barely making the required time limit. Because of this, it felt as if the odds were not in our favor. As the anxiety built up towards the big day, we added the finishing touches to our scenery and costumes. We attached our carousel and added the final string to tie the costumes together. Once the countdown to ten minutes began, we held the hands of each other tight and hoped for the best. We watched our grade perform the story we created, knowing we tried nine times to get that story right. Quickly, all of our work fell into place as did the smiles of those around us. It was in this moment I felt very proud to be a butterfly and even more proud to be on Board. Joy was displayed on this day by everyone around our school, and I felt very fortunate to be a part of it.

Although I did not play a sport and win any championships for our school or was a dancer with a national title, I still felt as if my talent was being used correctly. I learned that joy could be experienced in many different ways; whether it is brought by hitting a high note or painting a masterpiece. Not only did I experience joy by creating elaborate costumes out of butcher paper but also bonding with my classmates and giving them memories they will have forever. It brings me great joy to know that they are happy with what I have created and enjoyed their time in high school.

At my new school, it is very easy to feel joy. Whether it is from Chicken Tenders on a Tuesday or winning a game in PE, happiness is present as you walk down the halls. However, I found joy in something that others might not always realize. My happiness and talent is not always on display or recognized which is why some will never understand why I love spending my Summer cutting wings out of cardstock or creating funny cheers. Because of Board, I found what gives me the most joy. As my last year being on Board is approaching, I reflect on all of the memories I have made and look forward to the new ones to come.