Expectations Have the Power to Make or Break Your Experience
- Ava Martin
- Jun 22, 2025
- 2 min read
Throughout your week at Louisiana Girls State you will hear the phrase “you get out what you put into this experience” about 100 times, and as much as you get sick of hearing it..it's true. But something I want to add to this phrase is that your expectations matter. Growing up going to different summer camps I was always told to enter with expectations, and it wasn't until recently that I realized that your expectations have the power to make or break your experience, especially here at Girls State.
A few months ago when I found out I had the opportunity to go to Girls State, I was ecstatic. But I wasn't fully aware of what all this week entailed. And as I am writing this 4 days into LAGS I can say I’ve made so many friends, 3 of which I know will be in my life forever, Kate, Ainsley, and Mynni. And I’m able to say that I’ve made relationships that are so valuable because I went into this experience with the expectation of leaving with valuable friendships. Coming in with that expectation pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and connect with people.
To illustrate how powerful this organization is and the environment it fosters I’ll tell you a story. When I first met the girls in my parish I knew that they were special. We quickly connected and became like sisters throughout the week. On wednesday night we had a debrief with our PC and CC’s to reflect on our week. This was also the day that convention elections happened and my parish, T-Funk, had 5 candidates in the convention and only one candidate made it to the general election. So needless to say we were definitely disappointed, but after our debrief that night we realized that the disappointment brought us closer and we were able to lean on and lift eachother up because of the genuine love we felt towards each other, which wouldn't have been possible without LAGS. During that debrief we talked for over an hour, about things that had nothing to do with elections but instead family issues, personal struggles, and uncertainties about life and it was the most beautiful moment because again, we had only known each other for 3 and a half days and we cared so deeply for each other.
This is a perfect example of how my expectations going into this week allowed me to embrace every moment of LAGS despite the sleep deprivation and stress. I was able to meet people that will be in my wedding one day and I will forever be indebted to Louisiana Girls State and the friends it brought me, the skills it's taught me, and the memories it's created.
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