| From August 2008 to December 2009, I attended one | | | | culture, simulating the processes of an actual Local |
| national conference in AIESEC. I had had problems | | | | Chapter, and holding Fictitious Local Committee |
| with parental permission, but I never really pushed for | | | | President elections was an immense learning |
| them either. By March 7th 2010, I finally realized exactly | | | | experience for me, and judging by the response of my |
| how much I had missed out on. | | | | FLC, it was for them too. My group's President turned |
| The Regional Leadership Development Seminar and | | | | out to be a boy from my own Local Committee, |
| National Trainers Conference, 5th to 7th March 2010, | | | | AIESEC Delhi University. Finally finished with the |
| created history in AIESEC India in three ways. It was | | | | election and announcement procedure, we headed to |
| the first ever regional conference in the 29 year | | | | the plenary to meet the other 19 FLCs and their |
| history of AIESEC in the country; it was the first | | | | elected Presidents. |
| conference for the February batch of recruits; and it | | | | As we neared the plenary hall, we saw two or three |
| was the first time two parallel conferences were run in | | | | announcements happening in the gardens around us. |
| the same venue at the same time. AIESEC Jaipur, | | | | They were familiar faces, also from our Local Chapter. |
| hosting the conference, did a wonderful job with a | | | | News came trickling to us, 7 FLCPs from DU, 10 |
| beautiful venue, large rooms and good food. | | | | FLCPs from DU. When we reached the plenary, 17 |
| All these factors are important in a conference, but | | | | groups were already there and 13 of their Presidents |
| they are all secondary to, and add up to, one seminal | | | | were from DU. Two groups had still not reached, and |
| thing – the experience. Experiences are what | | | | we waited in eager anticipation. By the end, 20 |
| shape us as people, and make us who we are. | | | | Fictitious Local Committee Presidents stood before us |
| Experiences constitute our identity; they set us apart | | | | and no less then 16 were from AIESEC Delhi |
| and make each one of us unique. The AIESEC | | | | University, the batch whose recruitment I had |
| experience can be the most powerful one of your life. | | | | personally been in charge of. My pride in my LC knew |
| From attending three national conferences as a | | | | no bounds that day, and all of us felt the same. 80% of |
| delegate, I went to being a facilitator in my fourth. A | | | | the leaders of the new recruits in that plenary were |
| team of twenty diverse individuals from all over the | | | | from AIESEC DU. At a historic conference, AIESEC |
| country, we were building the experience of 250 | | | | Delhi University had broken all records. |
| delegates, fresh to AIESEC, bubbling with enthusiasm | | | | Trooping into the bus the next morning at 5 am, we |
| and yearning to learn more. We had many | | | | were all exhausted since none of us had slept after |
| responsibilities, including conducting many of the | | | | winning the Best Delegation award. The energy level |
| sessions. Who knew that at 18 and 19, we could have | | | | though, was miraculously high – people were still |
| the confidence to fearlessly address 250 people, | | | | laughing, chatting, taking pictures and periodically |
| some of them our own ages and older, and enjoy it? | | | | bursting into the cheers and 'war cries' we call roll calls. |
| The knowledge that so many people are looking to | | | | It took some time for everyone to settle down, though |
| you for guidance and direction, to be their mentors and | | | | they eventually did. I was sitting in the second seat |
| leaders, is a rush of adrenaline I'll never forget. | | | | from the front and I sat up and looked back. I saw 36 |
| Running a Fictitious Local Committee (FLC) was a | | | | sleeping and 6 half-awake faces, heads drooping |
| more personalized and deeper connect with a small | | | | everywhere, mouths hanging open and limbs falling out |
| group of eleven people from different cities and | | | | of seats. This was the future of AIESEC Delhi |
| backgrounds. Given barely one and half days, we | | | | University. I smiled. Yes, I had missed out on a lot of |
| learnt to like and trust each other, understanding | | | | national conferences, but I knew at that moment that I |
| ourselves better in the process. All expectations were | | | | would never let another opportunity pass me by. I was |
| defied, and perceptions broken. Creating our own | | | | and I am proud to be an AIESECer. |