It all started with an idea inspired by my home club, Kentwood. It was my junior year when the former Lieutenant Governor, Kim Ahn Tran, and I constantly messaged each other and shared ideas and plans. This was when I told her about Mr. Kentwood and what the talent show was about. This was when Mr. Dragon was born. Fast forward to three months ago. Ashley Villanueva, the current Lieutenant Governor of Division 32, brought up the idea of Mr. Dragon to the new fundraising committee. My eyes instantly widened with excitement. That’s when my mind began to picture the whole event. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to relay my vision to the committee and performers, so I tried by best with outlines and plans, but it didn’t seem to be enough; the lines were still hazy. Planning Mr. Dragon was a very complicated, hectic, and confusing process. It began as a talent segment of another divisional event, although the costs were too high, and it was made into an independent event. Then, we changed the name to Mr. & Ms. Dragon. There were so many changes, but the changes worked for the better. There were many difficulties and concerns with planning this new event. One of the worries was caused by the amazing snow days. Though they canceled school, we had to consider canceling the event if it were to snow on Friday. There were even times when I had to simultaneously message over fifty people because of all of the complications. I remember our very first Mr. & Ms. Dragon practice. I remember us almost getting kicked out of my neighborhood gym area. I remember watching the performers vividly. I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about their performances; they were going to blow the crowd away, just like how they blew me away. After practice, we went to my house and made a huge bowl of guacamole. Yes. Guacamole. Everyone had different tastes. Some people said more lime, others said it was just right, and I said there was too much. WE adjusted the guac and finished the huge bowl while ten people fed Maregyle at once. Everyone laughed, while I stressed about clean-up, but this situation reminded me of the process of planning Mr. & Ms. Dragon. There were different opinions and adjustments that had to be made, but in the end, everyone completed their task and left smiling (or at least I hope). Despite all of the difficulties, the team brought everything together. We did it! On the day of the event, I could really tell that our efforts paid off. Every single person played an important role in this event. This event would not have been possible without the team. Thank you to Division 32’s Fundraising Committee. Michele Chao Despite her knee surgery, she compiled all of the music into one file, and she was my stress reliever. Emily Phan Two hours before the event, I asked her to be in charge of the music during the event because Michele was injured. She saved the day. She kindly accepted and listened closely while I explained the process. The event would have been a mess if she didn’t step in. Aaron Chamroeun He was one of our MC’s who helped back stage and constantly smiled. He was never in a sour mood. Carolyn Phung I knew I could trust her with admissions, which she had to give up part of the show to do. Cynthia Nguyen She kindly accepted to help setup and be a part of admissions. She also brought Vincent to help backstage. Maregyle Carpio She was the designer of all of the flyers, and she attended all of the meetings and practices. She also MC’ed and helped with the script. Simon Manivong He was the one who I asked to lead the meeting that I couldn’t attend because he is someone I can always rely on. He came to all of the practices and was always there for support. Zachary Lei He always kindly asked for more things to do. He was also the one who led the side fundraiser, Over the Rainbow Bubble Tea. He took a huge weight off of my shoulders. Tera Chea She came to all of the meetings and practices, and she gave valuable input. She and Ashley always looked after me and calmed me down when I was stressed. She was an important player as an MC and script writer. She was also my partner for the pick up line portion of the event! The performers played a huge role in the making of Mr. and Ms. Dragon. They had to deal with a great deal of complications. This new event did not have a strict outline for tryouts so the process was confusing, but they were able to handle it all very well. Performers included Ammara Touchh, Ryan Nguyen, Raymond Nguyen, and Nathan Nguyen, Aubrey, Caroline & Star-Chyld, Candice, Justin, and Manuel. Thank you Andes Lee and D28 for performing as guests! Thank you to Mr. White for performing and working at admissions! Thank you to Sue Owens for kindly assisting admissions and supporting us through it all 🙂 Thank you to our Lt.G Ashley, who played a major role as an MC. Despite her busy schedule she was a part of the whole process. This team allowed us to exceed our initial goal of 70 guests. We had over 110 people attend the event, and we made $1,151 for KCCP! Thank you Mrs. Daughtry for dealing with all of my questions and allowing us to use the facility for free! She drove back to open and close the space for us. Organizing and directing a event like this was a first. There was a lot of communication, paperwork, and issues that I had to solve both on my own and with the group. I was expecting us to raise $300 at most with this brand new event, but it went better than I had imagined. Our hard work paid off, and brought me to tears. Happy tears. Carolyn even said that I’m an ugly crier. All in all, I am glad I was a part of planning this event. Even with the stress, the final production brought me great happiness. This was well worth the time.