SOBEWFF, along with the HEARTS Art Club, are my two longest-standing extracurriculars. I care deeply about giving back to my community, so when I learned about the festival during a student organization fair in August 2018, I signed up immediately. I fell in love with SOBEWFF during my first festival and intend to continue serving as a volunteer for years to come. Although my coordinators originally wanted me to serve as a lead volunteer, I chose to serve as a general volunteer first so that I could explore the festival at my pace. In my second year of serving (I did not serve in 2020 because I embarked on a study abroad trip), I decided to step up to the plate and serve as a lead volunteer. It was a challenging but enlightening experience: My main learning lesson was how to stand my ground and remain calm in the face of conflict.

During my time with SOBEWFF, I strengthened my skills in leadership, guest services, stress and time management, crisis response, and communicating with public figures in an empathetic and respectful manner.