NTC Through the Eyes of Youth Kianna Bolante

NTC Through the Eyes of Youth

By Kianna Bolante, Student Member

Since joining NAP in March 2019, I have been exposed to an endless number of opportunities to expand my parliamentary knowledge and apply that on state and national levels. The National Training Conference was an exceptional highlight to my journey thus far. Not only did I get to experience the conference as an attendee, listening to the wisdom of profound parliamentarians around the nation, but I was also given the honor of presenting my own workshop as a part of the NAP Youth Committee.

On the receiving end, I was happily overwhelmed by the content choices. Ranging from three thoughtful sessions covering the significant changes in the 12th Edition of RONR, to meeting preparations within a pandemic environment, and the perfect touch of entertaining interaction through a game of Lotería, there was no piece missing to cover a fulfilling event. My means of parliamentary application is through Career and Technical Student Organizations like Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Serving as the National FBLA parliamentarian, one of my goals is to draft bylaw amendments. As a parliamentary procedure competitive event mentor, I work towards helping students with case scenarios. Workshops like “Amending Bylaws” by Lawrence Taylor, PRP, and “Creating a Presiding Script” by Tim Wynn, PRP, were the perfect fit for what I was involved in as a youth member.

The conference came full circle when I presented my own workshop. I was finally giving back to an organization that has only enriched my motivation and knowledge to new heights. The workshop I presented, “All That and a Bag of Chips!,” is as fun as it sounds, aiming to bridge the gap between youth and mature adults by promoting mentorship and friendly competition in a game revolving around generational slang. Being a student member, expected to present in front of numerous people of all ages, I expected to feel nervous. Don’t get me wrong, the feeling was especially prevalent leading up to the workshop, but it immediately faded away as I noticed all the support I was receiving throughout it. This experience sparked a moment of celebration, giving me the assurance that NAP has and always will be an organization that welcomes their youth unconditionally.

kianna Bolante is a senior from Fife High School in Washington State. Since joining NAP in March 2019, she has been appointed to numerous officer positions in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) where she serves as the State Parliamentarian and the National Parliamentarian, serving over 200,000 members worldwide. Kianna is also a part of NAP’s Youth Committee where she aims to spread parliamentary authority awareness through various online projects and presentations.