My Key Club Story: Ashley Vo

On September 21st, @sorrynotsoriano tweeted, “Key Club is honestly for anyone, you just have to stick around long enough until you experience your ‘Key Club Moment’”. For me, it didn’t take too long to experience mine. Where do I begin? It all started when I was being a TA for my math teacher the previous year. The officers ran into the room and asked her to be the advisor because the old one was no longer able to do it. I never really thought about Key Club before. I knew about it because my cousins who were from the Cali-Nev-Ha district told me about how much fun they had and how they highly recommend joining. What caught my attention the most was when they said that colleges loved Key Club. I did have the club in mind during freshman orientation, but I was really insecure being the new kid who moved from across the country. I didn’t know much other than what I was told. I didn’t have friends who could drive me home after the meetings, I was so lazy that I didn’t want to walk the mile home, I just found excuses to not join. So the next week after helping my teacher, I went to my first meeting. I was with a bunch of my friends and we all sat in the middle row of the Lecture Hall. I remember seeing the officers up there and I was very confused on who was who. I specifically remember the donuts they handed out at the end of the meeting and how upset I was that I didn’t get one. Moving forward, I remember that I wanted to be more involved in Key Club so I applied for the fundraising committee. Hearing my name mentioned during the meeting I was so ecstatic that I got on even though I later found out that I was one of the few people that actually applied. It took me three months to start my first fundraiser but the feeling I got right after we sold almost all the bracelets was amazing. I didn’t start to get involved in the division until the week before mid-winter break. I was preparing for the potential Winter-con and spent countless hours making decorations knowing I wouldn’t have been able to attend. Looking back, I realize that my Key Club moment came right as I asked my mom if I could reschedule my flight to accommodate the Winter-con that I wanted to lead a money making workshop at. Key Club made me who I am today and I’d like to believe that the improvement has been very noticeable. I feel so free and accepting of who I am because of the confidence it gave me. I learned to put faith in myself and more importantly, other people. I have felt the warm fuzzy after volunteering and receiving my first thank you email. I have discovered who I was, who I am, and who I want to be because of Key Club and the people I met through it. I have to give shout outs to the 2015-2016 Hazen Officers for guiding me along my journey and pushing me to be the best person I can be despite how reluctant I am or how difficult I can be. Even though I may not found out the “true meaning”, I like to believe that there will be multiple along the way, whether it be through I learn at workshops or through the people I meet, and I cannot wait to encounter them all. Please excuse me while I go back to crying.