A little bit over a month ago, I was part of the Enactus National Competition. These 48 hours were completely incredible and let me experience so many new things such a seeing my friends and teammates performing in front of juries. But first things first, so let me start with the beginning of our journey.
It all started right after the Regionals. We had two weeks to prepare everything and make ourselves ready for the Nationals. That included changing the script, the slides and the way we were presenting. So we all sat down and tried to head first into the changes that were required. Needless to say that it involved many sleepless nights once again and it meant that we were still stuck at the library. Not that we minded, we were all used to the feeling. What changed for me was that my deadlines were approaching quick and since I had spent so much time doing the script I was running a little bit late to writing and submitting my own work. It was all right though. I managed to finish everything with - at least - a few hours to spare.
What I remember the most is that I kept on coming to the library regularly and even when I was not writing the script I was still there to help raise the team's morale. I tried to keep our spirits high so we could finish on time for the competition. It went well. We had a completely new script, different slides, and we even managed to rehearse together.
The night before we left for London, the team went home in the late hours of the night once again. But this time, we were all meeting up at half six in the morning to travel to the EXCEL. The ride was mostly a blur as I fell asleep right at the beginning. When we reached and found a place to wait for the registration to open was the time things really started to happen. Our team met together, we were all excited and nervous for the presentation team and at the same time, we were trying to help each other figure out what we were going to do to see our competition.
I remember sitting with a few of the team leaders and seeing them trying to figure out what kind of questions were going to be asked during the presentation and I could hardly do anything. They had so much experience and the way they looked at ease with the task ahead made it look so simple. I remember them walking in front of me and someone asking me if I realised how much I could learn from them.
"Look at the three of them. They are able to help you with a lot as they have so much experience. Try to watch them closely and learn from them."
I completely agree. Those three girls were laughing and enjoying each other's company despite being so tired. I knew they had so much to offer me if only I tried to stick close to them. They are honestly an inspiration. They have come from the same background as me but they don't even realise how much they have inspired me to be more like them. I am trying to be as responsible as they are and to be as focused on my future as them. They are all truly amazing and I couldn't be more proud of the three of them. Thank you so much for helping me so much throughout the whole year, these past few months, and I absolutely wish you the best luck in the world for all of you.
But that was still the beginning. I saw the team perform right after and they were great. Despite being nervous, they made their way around and gave the script the life it needed. I saw them struggle for 17 minutes and trying to finish the presentation proud of everything that happened. After that, we grouped together and decided to watch some of the other team's presentations. We divided ourselves into small groups and watched as many presentations as we could. That way, we managed to see how the other teams were doing and check out the competition.
With that came the lunch break and the Employability Fair. Me and two of my friends went around trying to see if we would find anything relevant for us and although we were all dying of hunger, we decided to stay longer than necessary since we found some stands had games and we could win rewards. With that, I won one of those huge multicoloured lollipops and my friend won a huge Easter Egg. Lunch was uneventful if you don't count the little bit of time we spent sleeping and just chilling around with each other. What really counted for all of us was the award ceremony. We were all excited, nervous and one hundred percent pumped for it. We marveled at the way they were leading the presentation and let me tell you, the chance to watch these really experienced people speak to all of us - there were more than hundred people in that room easily - was absolutely amazing.
I remember when we were announced to continue for the next round. We were all ecstatic and in that moment we didn't want to do anything but celebrate with each other. This was a team effort, we were all giving our best and there was nothing that could make this even better than to be around each other. We went to a restaurant and as soon as I found myself sitting down, I felt the tiredness all over me. I fell asleep on the table and for a good twenty minutes, I just slept there. It was really interesting to see the team so excited for the next step, but we knew things weren't done yet.
I followed the President and the Team Leaders to the President's house. Before anything else, we took a few moments to collect ourselves and simply have fun. After the usual "What's the Internet password?" and setting our things out, we made it to editing what needed to be done. And so, we revamped the script. Waking up after three hours of sleep was absolutely difficult. I could hardly stand but I knew it had to be done. If I hadn't moved, I would probably still be asleep in that bed. In that morning, the amazing Teresa received extraordinary news and we were all extremely excited for her and for the rest of the competition. Obviously, we left the house late - that's what happens when none of the 5 people who need to take a shower want to get up and do it - but we split into groups once more and made our way to where we needed to be.
That morning was stressful. We were gluing the new pieces of script on top of the old one and let me tell you it was a challenge. We were all so tired, but the team still had to practice these changes. And so they practiced and practiced until there was no time left until the presentation. They performed and even through some problems, the team made their way until the end of the presentation without any major problems.
One again, lunch time was spent in the Employability Fair. This time, we had a small stand and were making a question to those who walked by us. Some people interacted with us and in the end, it was great to see the way so many people had different answers and it got me thinking of the infinite amount of possibilities one can have upon asking a question. When we got back to the room to find out if we would keep going to the final, there was so much stress in the air that I could feel the atmosphere change as we walked through the doors. All in all, we did our best and in the end, all of our efforts allowed us to finish this competition in the top 20. The stressful moments of finding out if our team would keep going and be the national winner were very intense. There was the added pressure of everything we had already been through and the need to prove ourselves had us proud of the place we reached and wanting to do even better next year.
I can't really make many comments on the national presentations of the other teams. Somehow, I managed to fall asleep throughout their presentations and only woke up after they were done. However, I saw Loughborough's presentation and I was very impressed. I thought they were really good and there were many aspects of their presentation that I could learn just through watching them. The time I spent with my teammates and watching the other teams resumed into a huge learning experience. I came out of those glass doors with a different view of what Enactus is and of how much change one can make in the community. It is not just our team, but rather every single team and everyone involved in their projects. For this, I am extremely thankful for being part of a project that is making me a better and more dedicated person.
I have learnt so much throughout this whole experience but somehow I don't know how to put it all in words. I feel like experiencing all of it in first person was the best part of it all and it made me feel a bit more prepared for my future.
Obviously, I share with you, dear reader, some of the details of the After Party. Overall, it was very good. Alcohol, friends and music. Those were the main things of that night. I spent most of the night with Beatriz, dancing together, pretending to be a lesbian couple... You know, the usual... Needless to say, I was drunk in that party. I liked the whole experience a lot and I am very happy about the memories that I get to keep from it.
The party was great. The event was just as good. The whole experience was inspiring.
Advice time:
> Keep getting involved.
> If you don't think it is worth it, you are wrong. 100% worth it.
> Rewards aren't always prizes. The After Party was the best reward our team could have had, so find the small things in life that make you feel good.
> Make new friends and socialize during events. I regret not trying to get more people, next year I will definitely try to go to the Nationals once again and be more sociable.
> Like I was told, look at the people who did the same thing as you before. They have so much experience and advice for you. You will always learn something new from them.
Until next time, guys.
It's 5:20 in the morning, I think I need to catch some sleep.
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