This time last year, I was running to be Dafna BBG’s 36th N’siah without any idea that this position would become my purpose. I have less than a week left as chapter N’siah, and I decided to reflect on the experience that changed who I am.

Through my time in BBYO, I have learned to look up to certain role models, typically those who led something that made an impact on me. These members shaped my experience and were the reason I ever ran for positions in the first place. They were the ones who brought me to events, encouraged me to apply, and taught me how to be a leader. When running for chapter N’siah, I planned to serve for one term and then see where BBYO would lead me next. However, this past December, I decided that holding this position for only six months didn’t give me enough time to accomplish everything I wanted—building leaders like those who built me. 

The position of N’siah is in no way an easy one, but it is by far the most rewarding. I guided my board members toward success and saw the impact they could make on our chapter and region. They created merch, gave back to the community, made posts that influenced other chapters to want to do the same, and became role models for younger members. By guiding my board members, I was helping build a chapter that loved every part of this movement. It’s so odd to think that after looking up to role models, I became one. I became the person who led programs that left an impact on girls. I became the person people texted with questions or for advice. After being a sponge who sucked up all the knowledge I could absorb about BBYO, I was finally able to share it with others.

While it wasn’t my plan to start off my sophomore year with the responsibility that typically juniors and seniors have, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Some thought that I wasn’t capable of holding this position just because of my age, or said I was doing too much and that there was no need to get ahead. I was told that it wasn’t that deep, that I cared too much, that I should focus on other things. I had to block out the noise and trust myself and the decisions that I made, and in the end, I think it worked out pretty well.

Seeing all that work culminate in something bigger was indescribable. I won South Jersey Region’s 38th Sh’licha on May 17, and felt like I was being pulled in two different directions. My time on chapter board hasn’t closed yet, but my time on regional board hasn’t started. I am so excited to see where my next position will take me, but it’s bittersweet to be in the place I am now. I have poured my heart and soul into Dafna BBG, and it’s unreal to know that my time is up as chapter N’siah because this position taught me so much. 

If you have the opportunity, please run for chapter president because this position can do so much for others. I stepped into the role because no one else in my chapter was going to, but I’ve realized now that the universe set that up for me. I have learned how to communicate and collaborate with others, a skill I will take with me for the rest of my life. But above all else, I have learned the importance of BBG.

Excited to see where BBYO takes me next, and thankful for my time as chapter N'siah,

I forever remain Aliyah Riley Gutman, a DAMN proud N’siah of Dafna BBG #1110.