How has the Kiwanis Family shaped your life? The Kiwanis Family has shaped my life in so many ways that I could never have imagined. When I was in Key Club, I was just this shy person who just wanted to volunteer. I never would’ve thought I would be involved with leadership positions until I was given my first opportunity freshman year as a member of Washington State University CKI. From then on, because of encouragement from all my peers and friends, I was grateful to serve as the Pacific Northwest District Governor for CKI and also serve as an international trustee for Subregion A which consisted of the districts of Montana, Pacific Northwest, Utah-Idaho, and Western Canada. Because of these leadership opportunities, I was able to break out of my shell and learn how to public speak, learn how to not be afraid of sharing my ideas, develop other leaders, and so much more. I’m so grateful for what the Kiwanis Family has given me so far that I joined a Kiwanis Club right away after I graduated college and I’m happy that I can continue to make a difference in the community and make an impact on people’s lives. Q: Why or what made you decide to join CKI and what are the similarities and differences between CKI, Kiwanis, and Key Club? The main reason why I joined CKI is because I heard that it was the “collegiate” version of Key Club so that in itself made me want to join automatically. When I went to the meetings, it was definitely a lot more different then Key Club meetings. Meetings at the WSU CKI were a lot more formal compared to Key Club meetings which could be a good thing or bad thing depending on what you prefer. Another huge difference that I see is the types of service projects on what you can do in each of the different Kiwanis Family Branches. What I saw in Key Club is that your service projects can be very limited due to the fact that your advisor has to make sure you approve it. In CKI, for example, you are in charge of your own budget and if you want to create a higher upscale fundraiser, you can do it. Although there are differences within each branch, I don’t really want to highlight differences. The similarities are what’s important and these similarities include making a huge impact in your communities and on people’s lives, being able to serve leadership positions and further improve your life skills, and making everlasting friendships with the people you meet within the Kiwanis Family. With these 3 traits, that’s what sets Kiwanis different from other service organizations. Q: What do you like being a part of CKI? What I like about being a part of CKI is the fact that I was able to develop life skills such as being able to public speak, work in a team environment, contributing to discussions that impact the organization, and so much more. Honestly, because of the leadership positions I was involved, it has helped me prepare for the real world on what I would be facing. Not only that, I was able to further make a difference in the community and on people’s lives because of being involved with leadership such as developing other leaders within CKI. Another thing that I really like about CKI is that I was able to make friends that I know I would stay in contact with for a really long time. Finally, I liked CKI for the fact that I was able to serve the community and put a smile on a person’s face for helping them out. That’s honestly the best feeling in the world. Q:If you could give a personal message to each senior Key Club member, what would it be? Seniors, this is your final year of high school, so cherish every moment of it and make it a fun one. Don’t fall behind on your school work and do you absolute best to get good marks so you get into the college of your dreams. Continue to serve your homes, schools, and communities and enjoy your final year as a Key Clubber. Although your Key Club years may be over, you don’t have to let your Kiwanis Journey end. Give CKI and Kiwanis a chance by going to a meeting or two and let the Kiwanis Family be one of your highlights that you look forward to every week. Finally, don’t let others drag you down or make you disappointed. If you like yourself, like what you do, and like how you do it, then keep doing you. You create a path to your own future so create that path and reach the dreams you always dreamed of.