"We all chose to spend 10 days of our summer studying law... We're all nerds here. Deal with it."
Those were some of the first words spoken to me when I arrived in DC last summer. Ask anyone who was there and even those who weren't: The National Student Leadership Conference, NSLC for short, regardless of the place, regardless of the subject (law, medicine, theater, etc.), is the best experience any of us could've ever asked for. I knew that I had to make a blog about this program that provides not only for the intellectual expansion, but the international camaraderie no kid could ever imagine but every other kid would envy afterward.
To the outsider, the above quote probably doesn't seem like the most appealing intro; even for me, had it been on the brochure, I would've turned it down myself. However, being there alone in the midst of 100 people I didn't know, a long ways away from home, when everyone laughed, I suddenly didn't feel so alone anymore. It was a remarkably successful icebreaker if I do say so myself.
I've bragged on NSLC so much already and I haven't really talked about what happened after I got there. Well, over the course of the 10 days, we were preparing for a mock trial, half of us defense, half prosecution. I won't ruin the case for those of you who may (and should, if you're interest in law at all) attend one day. We toured DC, as well as tackled the "Leadership" aspect of NSLC. We had this speaker, Mr. Joel Hilchey, I promise I'm going to really sound like a nerd, but I've never been more excited to hear a lecture in my life. He was so relatable and inspiring and, maybe most importantly, passionate about leadership and helping us bring out the leader in ourselves. Maybe that's what sealed the deal for me. Whatever it was, I know I came back home a different person than when I left: of course more knowledgeable about law, but surprisingly more confident, independent... and happy about who I am.
I just read over what I've written so far... and if I weren't me, I'd personally want to go to NSLC (not that I'm biased or anything :D ).
What do you think?