To sum up my two-week long leadership escapade a nutshell would seem almost impossible for me to begin with. It was the best of times and times that could've been better. All these I have taken into account for the benefit of my countrymen and for those about to embark on the leadership journey I have taken.

I didn't have a vivid picture of what I was in for the moment I set foot in that conference. With me, I carried proudly the name of God, my family and my country. Being 15 and a Filipino in a crowd of 360 delegates from all corners of the world, I was easily the shortest and the youngest, it was automatic for me to shrink from all the ethnicities I encountered that appeared to be superior. But I held my country’s name high. Taking some wisdom from Eleanor Roosevelt, I didn’t let age or ethnicity stop me from doing my best. My only fear was that I fail to make a lasting impression on the people I met whether it was as small as a handshake or simply sitting through lunch with them. I did not have had the same caliber of know-how or political exposure as they had, nor the poise to be as brazen and confident as they were. Surely God didn't bring me here by mistake. I wanted to contribute in any way I could as much as I wanted to broaden my horizon. So I had to ask myself:

What can a Filipino youth do to make a difference in the world?

Which led me to my many attempts to take every opportunity I could to make a difference.It wasn't easy. I took every chance there was to ask a question to every Keynote speaker just to let my country's name be heard. It seemed there wasn't always enough time for everyone. Not for me. To add to that, no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't be one of the front runners of the conference. It wasn't till I realized that it wasn't about me. It wasn't about how I performed or how much of I know I was able to impart. In the end, it all boiled down to a verse God showed me just when I was about to give up:

"I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth".

I guess that pretty much sums it up. It wasn't about what I could do how far I could've gone. It was about how God could move more mightily in my life and in the lives of the people I met.