by Riley Barge, Veterinary Assistant Class of 2024

I always heard about the “Pearl Ceremony” at my school; being on the Opening and Closing Ceremonies team is one of the more visible activities at my school and earning the pearls has become sort of a “thing” with the team who picked up the nickname, “Buns & Pearls” because of distinctive competition-ready hairstyle and pearls. They often work with the Peer Leaders (as many of the members are connected to both organizations) to greet graduates and guests at the Hall of Fame Ceremony and to walk in the Veterans’ Day Parade wearing their distinctive red blazers. They also present at both the District 10 Championships and corresponding assembly and greet at the SkillsUSA Signing Day event. For each of these events, I see the veteran members wearing their pearl necklaces with pride.

I’ve heard a lot about the significance of the pearls. O & C members have to “earn them” by working hard to show up to after-school practices, learning their lines, and working together as a team on both the movements necessary to meet the guidelines of competition and in leadership-type activities intended to help our team grow together as a SkillsUSA “family”. It’s a rite of passage.

Believe me — witnessing the team’s practice in the hallways during activity periods, it’s easy to see that there is a lot that goes into the competition. I felt it even more at the end of the year when I was asked to step in as an alternate to familiarize myself with the fine points of competition — well beyond simply memorizing a speech. Thanks to the encouragement of my Veterinary Assistant instructor, I earned a silver medal during the SkillsUSA State Championships in a public speaking competition that I was volun”told” to do this year; this made me eligible to serve as an alternate for any SkillsUSA team. As end-of-the-year and graduation activities took over practice days, I thought my time with the team had finished for the year, knowing that it would probably pick up during the following season.

And then, six days before the O & C team was scheduled to head to Atlanta for National Championships, I got a call — one that would change the direction of my start-of-summer plans.

“Do you think you can do it? Would you like to try it? We’d love to have you join us!” My answer to those first two questions was a quick, “Yes!”

Then, as I put down the phone from the call, it quickly sunk in what I had just agreed to do. Could I do it? Could I memorize — in just seven days — all they had worked so hard to learn over the past year in just seven days? I don’t know for sure, but I’m sure as heck going to try!

I was lucky; my best friend and now, fellow national competitor, Mara Hull was also making the trip to compete in the Job Skill Demonstration competition. With her help, I got to work on the study materials sent to me: two speeches (I already knew the Pledge of Allegiance); the script that shows when I stand, sit, and move; and about fifteen pages of the professional development test, now also part of the competition points on the national level. My head was spinning. I can do this.

For two days, I studied and studied, but also during that time, I received text after text from the two seniors on the team. “What can I do?”, “How can I help?”, and “Can you meet with us on Wednesday?” were their questions. As I accepted their help, I kept telling myself was: I can do this.

On Thursday, it was a regular practice — the last one with the entire O & C team before we left to compete. The rest of the team had been notified that I was coming on board. They all seemed nice and were super-helpful and patient, but would I help them ease their minds about this last-minute change? I didn’t want to let them down. I kept telling myself, “I can do this.”

When I knew what I was doing, I just let my doubts go and did it. When I wasn’t sure, I asked. I kept my focus and put on a smile when I made mistakes. I made sure I learned from those mistakes and shouted over the top of the little voice of doubt in my head: I . CAN . DO . THIS!

On Friday, my coach met with me, and in the mud from the rains that had plagued the neighborhood park for the past few days, we worked and worked to fine-tune my confusion, to walk and speak and look with confidence, and to annunciate words she knew the judges would hope to hear whenever they put their pencils to the scoresheet. After this practice, I actually began to feel it: I CAN do this!

Sunday night, we left — other than continuing to study for the PD test I’d take on Tuesday, there wasn’t much more I could do. On Monday night, we had been asked to begin and close for the Pennsylvania meeting in front of all of the PA competitors and their advisors. This was the time for our team to help set the tone for the actual Team PA state officers and to demonstrate why we had earned our spot at nationals. Although this meeting was an abbreviated version of what we would do during the competition, it was a good opportunity to release some nerves, and if all went well, turn on our competitive energy!

Just before the large room was filled with the crowd from PA, we were invited to run through a quick practice one final time. As I walked up to the microphone to hear the oddness of my voice echoing back at me, I looked out to the two dozen or so round tables and said to myself: I can do this!

And I did! Smile and all, I delivered my speech and, although I could hear my knees knocking and my whole body shaking, I looked the part. I did it!!

There was time to run through practice one final time, so the team took the opportunity and went for it. Again, I delivered and could feel the encouragement of my team surrounding me. My head was swimming with excitement as I thought about the upcoming meeting, and somewhere around the middle of the run-through, I felt myself the center of attention — that wasn’t in the script.

“Riley — would you come here please?” Elia McKnight, smiling from ear to ear, was calling for me to stand. Tilly was standing behind me and then I saw the string of white pearls pass in front of my eyes. Oh my goodness; it’s happening!

“Do you agree to be a part of our Opening and Closing Family forever and ever?” And I felt the pearls encircle my neck like a hug and then the true hugs from the team followed.

I had proven myself; I earned my pearls. I brought all my passion with me to the team and proved to them that they could trust me to do my best.

As I stood there, sporting my new pearls in front of the Pennsylvania crowd, I felt unstoppable. I CAN do this!

And call me crazy — this feeling makes me want to keep on doing public speaking.