A letter to the 2023 Aquatennial Ambassador Organization Candidates from the Vice Commodore of Candidates, Cindy Shanley:
To all Aquatennial Ambassador Organization Candidates,
Wow, what a week! Like many of you, I am resting after a high-energy and fun Aquatennial. I wanted to take time to reach out with gratitude to each one of you. You make Aquatennial week great—it would not be what it is without you. Thank you for stepping out of your comfort zone to truly experience all that the week had to offer. As an example, watching all of you share your personal stories and ambitions during Meet the Candidates warmed my heart. It takes a lot of courage to open yourselves up to such a large crowd and each of you performed magnificently. I am so proud of this group of 37 young women from around the state.
Understandably, disappointment might be a feeling you experience upon departing from Minneapolis. Despite this feeling, my hope is that each of you walked away with a lifelong memory, connection, or skill. Aquatennial week is the Aquatennial Ambassador Organization’s greatest manifestation of our mission to ‘empower young women to achieve extraordinary futures.’ This is the goal of all of the AAO’s vice commodores, board members, volunteers, current crew, and many others. I hope we delivered on this promise. Please reach out to me if you believe we did not live up to that standard or if you have other feedback—we are always looking to improve our experience.
Thank you all so much for joining us in Minneapolis this past week for the Aquatennial. Again, I am so proud of all of you.
Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Cindy Shanley
AAO Vice Commodore of Candidates