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CRASH...Go For It!
December 12, 2019
I had the opportunity to attend the 2019 Iowa Credit Union Convention as a Crasher and feel so fortunate to have been able to do so. I was at
a restaurant in Paris when I was offered the Business Development position with Community Choice back in June. My start date wasn’t until later in the month, but my manager, Kasey Vogel, sent me a link to apply as a Crasher about a week after accepting my offer. I remember sitting in the Amsterdam airport trying to kill time, so I clicked on the link to start filling out the application. Having worked at a different credit union previously, I had some knowledge about the Crasher program but had never thought about applying with the small amount of experience I had. So you can only imagine my reaction when I received Jodi’s email letting me know I was going to CRASH the 2019 Iowa Credit Union Convention!
Although excited, I was nervous as I was new to my role at Community Choice and knew that I had to represent the credit union well. I was also thinking about how I get shy in large group settings, was the only male Crasher, only ISU fan, and the youngest one in the group. Upon meeting the other Crashers, I quickly realized that our differences didn’t matter because I had more in common with this group of people than I could have even imagined.
Attending the breakout sessions throughout the Convention helped me grow both personally and professionally. I learned a lot about myself and about the credit union industry that I was able to take back to Community Choice and share with my team. A specific example that I was able to take away came from one of my favorite speakers, Melanie Spring. She said that you are totally in control of how your day goes. Melanie taught me that your “bad day” is only bad because you are thinking bad thoughts. After the Convention, I haven’t really had a “bad day” because I try to take a moment to pause and think of the day’s positive aspects.
The days were long and getting up early was tough, but I did enjoy staying out late with the Crashers and networking with people who share similar passions. I made meaningful connections and memories that I carry with me today. If you are contemplating whether or not you should CRASH the next Iowa Credit Union Convention, I recommend that you go for it!
Connor Hilsenbeck, 2019 Iowa Credit Union Convention Crasher