September 13th was a normal day for everyone else in New Jersey, but not for the officers and members of New Jersey Circle K.! We had our Club Officer Training at Brookdale Community College. It was a privilege to see officers from around the state gather in one room, and watch them collaborate to become better leaders.
It all began with a welcome and gathering in our main lecture hall. This is where everyone could reconnect with old friends from other schools or begin to make new connections with the newly elected/
appointed boards. Things really kicked off after the district board introduced ourselves and we began a fun yet risky ice breaker!
Once the laughter was over, it was time to start training. We split up into designated groups. Each room had a different set of board members who began explaining how to strengthen the other officers’ skill sets, and how they could succeed in their positions. The leaders did an amazing job explaining officer responsibilities, and I could tell that the audience was captivated. I had the honor of walking through the hallways and ringing the bell to let them know when their session was coming to a close.
Following the first session, we all proceeded back to the lecture hall for our very own Parth Patel’s Eliminate Project presentation, where everyone was educated on maternal and neonatal tetanus.. He did a killer job making sure everyone knew what Eliminate was all about, and how they could help bring an end to MNT. The presentation was both entertaining and informative.
For the second session, we were able to break into smaller groups where presentations were given on various charities that Circle K International is involved with. Club officers were able to learn more about organizations that they had not known of before, and everyone seemed so excited to get involved in any way they could by the end of the presentations!
Following our lunch break, Vidish Pandya and Christian Blanco gave a short presentation on Leadership Academy. Their enthusiasm about their trip to Indiana gained the attention of the audience and demonstrated all that Leadership Academy has to offer. After hearing about how they were able to become better leaders and how they were inspired to continue their personal growth, a few audience members showed interest in becoming the next Leadership Academy attendees!
The third session took a more playful tone. It consisted of a motivational youtube clip session, stress relief ,and discovering leadership types. This was where training came to a conclusion, and where everyone was able to enjoy a fun, laid-back workshop.
COTC concluded with a final presentation of the history of K-family. It was both informative and motivational to see our history and what we had planned for the future. Circle K International has big things to look forward to, and our future looks extremely bright!
At the end of the day, we all went our separate ways full of excitement, hope and determination to ensure that we continue to do great things and know that the sky is the limit for the achievements to come.