A Message from the NSBYA President

By Caroline Fredenburg

Hello everyone, 

And in the blink of an eye, we have already reached the fall season! I am excited for the future after passing the baton off to our new NSBYA President, Spencer Hardin. I have been a member of this organization since 2015, having served as Secretary, President Elect and President. The NSBYA Board of Directors has been very busy during the past year. We launched our recycling service project starting in January, collecting both aluminum cans and plastic water bottles, at horse shows all over the country. Board members set up collection stations and delivered the reusable resources to recycling centers. We are thankful to the facilities and show managements for their help as we recognized the importance of doing our part to maintain resources for future members. We also ran fundraisers over the summer to raise money in support of the Youth Team Tournament at the NSBA World Show.
 
This organization has provided me with countless friends, mentors, leadership opportunities, and scholarship opportunities. When I began my journey, I was a quiet fifteen year old that just loved to show my horse. I had this misconception in my head that a leader had to be an outgoing, bold, and fierce person; for me, stepping into a leadership position took a lot of courage. It took me a couple of years before I came to the realization that I was a silent leader. A leader who, while might not have the loudest voice or the most outwardly expressed confidence, but one who preferred to lead by example. One who truly cared about the success of their team members and was determined to put their head down and work extremely hard to accomplish their goals. This realization sparked a new understanding of people like myself. My hope in sharing this experience is to encourage those people similar to me to go for it. It might require you to step out of your comfort zone, but ultimately, it can bring out things in you that were unforeseen as it did for me. There is no limit on the things you can do when you tap into your own personal strengths.
 
I would like to extend a very special thank you to Stephanie Lynn and Dianne Eppers for being the ones to reach out to me, as the quiet fifteen year old who just loved to show her horse. Their encouragement and mentorship helped me grow immensely as a leader. I also am very grateful for Elise Sheard for her guidance to me throughout my time and her dedication to our growing youth association.
 
NSBYA provides many opportunities for leadership experience, scholarships, and member involvement. The Smart Points program, Youth of the Year award, and yearly service projects are just a few of the options offered to all youth. I encourage youth members of all ages, breeds, and disciplines to consider learning more about the programs offered by NSBA. This organization has impacted me in ways I never expected. Get in touch with a member of the officer team to be introduced to the opportunities within NSBA. The possibilities are endless!  

- Caroline