From February 17th-21st, I had the experience of a lifetime at NACA - the National Association for Campus Activities. Not only did I get to grow as a person and a leader, I was able to build an even stronger relationship with my fellow peers and advisor that accompanied me on the trip. It was incredible.

Our adventure started on the 16th when we traveled to Richmond to spend the night before flying out to Boston, Massachusets bright and early Saturday morning.

When we reached Boston, we had a little time to explore, so we checked out the New England Aquarium. Even though it was PACKED, it was nice to relax a little and enjoy some time together before working for the next four days.

I had never been to a city before, so experiencing Boston was an entirely new thing for me. Everywhere we walked was a new adventure, and filled with so much beauty to explore.

Then, the fun began. Between showcases, the marketplace, and education sessions, I was constantly learning and taking notes of what I could bring to my college programming board.

One of the most valuable things I took away from NACA was how to better my leadership skills through building a bond and appreciation for general members. For my organization in particular, without general members, it would be rather difficult to do what we do. Building a foundation of appreciation and ensuring that they know they are valued is a key way to keep members around, as well as to build overall morale within your organization.

Secondly, I learned the value of making a connection with agents. Whether it be performance agents or novelty agents, making a solid connection is a great way to ensure you have people in your corner. It also helps to know who you're talking to when you're back at school scheduling performers - they'll know who you are and you'll know them.

Be open to change. Within our campuses, the atmosphere and the people are consistently changing. As a programming board, we have to be prepared to acknowledge this change and be open to bringing what people want to see. We also want to ensure that all of our students feel welcome and safe at our events.

For me personally, the trip was a real eye-opener to what is out there in the world. All my life I've been in VA, and only visited other states where I'd be visiting family. In just a short amount of time, I learned so much about myself and what's out there to explore nationally and around the world.

Overall, this experience was so valuable. I didn't quite know what to expect going into it, but I got so much more out of it than I could have ever expected. I met so many incredible people, and made great connections that will carry me through the rest of my college career. I walked out of Boston with so much to bring back to my school, and so much excitement about what is next to come.