By Ajaila Joseph

Austin, TX – Teams from all over Texas have prepared for this day, the Texas Youth and Government State Conference! Each year the Youth and Government program continues to grow in size gaining new members but losing the old. ” It is a pretty scary but fun experience going to state.” says, Malani McNeil, a first-time Youth and Government member. ” I can’t tell if I feel prepared, over-prepared, or under­prepared! Yes, my advisor and my veteran teammates have told me how it works, but when I’m alone I can’t help but feel a little nervous.”.

Looking around I couldn’t help but sympathize with new members, so I went around gathering evidence to make their first State Conference, a bit easier to navigate. During the opening ceremony Youth Governor, Vannela Mallampati, gave her short speech. “When I first joined Youth and Government I was a shy girl scared to to speak in the room and hiding in the corner. It wasn’t till one day when an advisor told me six words, that I will now tell you guys, ‘Fake it, till you make it!”‘. For the rookies all around let this quote stick with you. The Youth Governor who was once shy, is able now to lead a State Conference, your confidence will get there! As Vannela says “Nobody will remember if you stutter in your opening statement, if you fake it till you make it, eventually you will not be faking it anymore!”. Listening to another delegate, a veteran Esmeralda Rios, give her speech during the opening ceremony, moved me.

I grew up going to school with Esmeralda knowing she was a shy girl. Esmeralda grew in the last year, took a chance, and ran for a state officer position­ and won for that fact! Now seeing her from that shy girl to the confident one I know now, it’s amazing to see that’s what Youth and Government can do! In Esmeralda’s words, ” I would tell rookies to take a chance, I did and look at the outcome! I know it may be scary, but every chance you don’t take is a shot you will a hundred percent miss!” So to all the rookies in YG right now, it’s okay, it may be hard now, but later it will not be!