Written By: Mahika Patel and Taylor Hancock
Testimonials about ICON 2022 by GA District Board Members:
Mahika Patel -
Being in a room filled with hundreds of members who share an evenly matched passion for key club as you. That is how I would describe the 77th Annual Key Club International Convention in Washington, D.C. I would maybe even say that it might have been the best week of my life.
From being fortunate enough to connect and bond with members worldwide to creating memories that will last me a lifetime. At the conference, there were several motivational speakers including Dexter Darden, Lex Gillette, Sal Khan, and Bill Nelson. In addition, there were awards, talent shows, and rousing workshops to choose from. Caucusing and electing the international board for 2022-2023 was a riveting experience. From the Georgia district we had Taylor Petrofski running for international trustee. It was fascinating watching Taylor prepare for events leading to the election.
One of my favorite memories would probably be when we saw Taylor’s name pop up on the screen and the immediate cheering that came right after. Since I mentioned favorite memories, pin trading is included in that. I didn’t have high expectations going into pin trading, however it was the best way to connect and meet members. Going on tours and having the bitterly cold A.C. water falling on Olivia and I, Armin getting banned from MailChimp, going on late night ice cream treats and screaming and crying on the pirate ship with Julianna were also some of the core memories. I cannot forget Heather dancing to Wobble Baby.
ICON thank you for introducing me to so many wonderful people, and I cannot wait to experience it all again at the 78th Annual Key Club International Convention in California.
Taylor Hancock -
As Key clubbers, we’re used to serving our normal school community and spending time with our home clubs. ICON is such an indescribable experience because you meet people from Key Clubs all over the world. I genuinely met people from Arizona, Bahamas, Jamaica, South Dakota, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, anywhere you can think of. At ICON you spend time with people who share similar passions and interests as you and learn about the different ways Key Club takes place across different places.
Besides the social side, ICON really teaches you amazing things to take back to your home clubs. I attended daily workshops with so many different topics, such as College 101, How to Successfully Plan Events, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Social Media and Membership Development, and even How to Get A Date. These workshops were super helpful in giving advice for helping out my home club and provide as a great resource to have help directly from International. There were also some amazing speakers that gave such inspirational speeches like Sal Khan (founder of Khan Academy), Lex Gillette, and Bill Nelson.
You should attend ICON next year because it’s such a fun experience and… It’s in California!! But seriously, if you truly have a love and passion for service, ICON is so rewarding to see the real change that your local community is making and to meet the International leaders that are providing your district with so much. And when you attend ICON you get to meet and hang out with the Georgia District and come home with more friends than you left with! Don’t miss out, hope to see you in Disneyland 2023!
2022 ICON Recap Vlog