Dear 2016 LYS Delegates,
This week is flying by! I can’t believe we have already reached day three of seminar. I hope you are having a great time! Seeing you all open your hearts and minds to what LYS has to offer you is so rewarding and I am looking forward to what else is in store for the rest of the week.
Annelise and her sister Matty.
Tonight, we will be honoring five very special individuals who have dedicated the past five years to LYS. Our “Five-Year” ceremony is a special tradition honoring these staff members for their devoted service to the program. During the ceremony, these staff members will have a chance to give you some insight into their LYS experience after they replace their red shirts with light blue “Five Year” shirts. I highly encourage you to listen closely to their stories and get to know them throughout the week!
As a delegate, this night, known as Five-Year Night, was always my favorite. I remember looking up at the Five-Years and being inspired by how much LYS meant to them and how LYS had impacted their lives. It was that night when I decided to open up and allow LYS to make an impact on me. When I finally made it to my Five-Year Night, I was able to look back at how LYS had shaped my life over the past few years and share that gratitude with the delegation.
Our staff members who are celebrating their “Five-Year” tonight have spent the past few years sharing their enthusiasm for the program and dedicating countless hours to help make LYS a success. Use this opportunity tonight to listen to their stories and acquire their insight and knowledge. We are so thankful for Lindsey, Langston, Kali, Kristie, Jared, and Elizabeth and I know that I personally look up to each of these selfless individuals. Their passion for this program and endless LYS spirit inspires us all.
I hope experiencing this “Five-Year” ceremony tonight will inspire you to take risks that you never thought possible. You have the power (and force!) to choose to make new friends, run for office, set a goal or two, and open yourself up to a whole new world of ideas and skills. I truly believe that your experience is in your hands, and what you put into LYS is what you will get out of it. I hope that you all feel inspired to embody our LYS 2016 theme, “Leadership Awakens!” and give it your all this week. I promise you won’t regret it!
LYS love and mine,
Annelise Bertrand
Assistant Program Director