Hello, my name is Isa Killian and I’m super excited to share my experience at ALA Badger Girls State.

   In the beginning, it seemed like most of the people who thrived were the outgoing kind who gained energy from social interaction and could connect with their peers in a single conversation.  Although I see myself as a leader in many rooms, and I feel comfortable voicing my opinion to a crowd, I’m not ashamed to admit that making fast friends through small talk is a skill I’m still working on.  In a room with hundreds of strangers, it’s easy to feel lonely at first, and I started to wonder if there wasn’t a place for me.

   Halfway through the week, I was sitting in the cafeteria and feeling a little discouraged.  I regretted spending my first day slowly processing the system rather than seizing an opportunity, and I worried I’d lost my chance to make an impact.

   I sometimes spend too long ruminating on time I could’ve used differently, but as I ate my lunch I decided I wasn’t going to let my hesitation limit my potential when I was experiencing such a special opportunity.  I visited every table in the dining hall and polled hundreds of delegates about the meal selections for a newsletter article.  Although the effect was infinitesimal compared to inspiring an entire generation of Wisconsin youth or winning an election by a landslide, it gave me a role and a reason to be there.  In just hours, the way I fit into the state of Badger transformed and the only thing that had changed was me.

   And when Badger Girls proved to me that my voice did in fact matter, I became truly invested.  I listened to the contrasting ways my peers viewed the world.  I watched how American Legion Family members treated the U.S. flag and I absorbed the air of respect that surrounded it.  I was even selected as one of ten acts among 500 delegates in the end-of-week talent show.  By Friday, I felt like I’d experienced months of growth as a leader and a person in just six days.

   After coming home, I expected my life to completely return to normal.  Instead, as I told people about my experience, I was shocked to hear so many of them share that they, too, were Boys or Girls State alumni.  My voice teacher, family friend, and even great-grandpa had each participated in a similar week during different summers decades earlier, and when I discovered this, I felt like I shared a unique secret with them — a connection that transcends generations.

   Two months ago, I learned that change begins with caring.  And a grand, daunting gesture toward thousands of people doesn’t need to be the first step.  Start by looking around and asking yourself, “What can I do to make this room better?  This classroom?  This office?”

   I’m honored to carry on the Badger Girls State legacy as a brand-new alum, and I am incredibly grateful for the lessons I learned, the people I saw shine, and the long-standing program that I can proudly say I contributed to just a little.  Thank you so much for sponsoring me this summer and thank you all for your investment in my generation.