The Mind the Gap Symposium was an interesting experience. I was nervous about being a panelist due to my fear of public speaking, but when we had the symposium, I lost all feeling of anxiety or nervousness. I gained confidence after reading my opening statement and became more vocal. I contributed many ideas and opinions to the discussion, which I feel has helped me get over my fear. Gender inequality is a big topic so I had numerous thoughts to contribute to the discussion. The only challenge I had was the idea of speaking in front of an audience due to the fact that I am afraid of speaking publicly. However, I do want to celebrate how well I did during the panel because I was very engaged and vocal in the discussion. My panel did a very good job during the exhibition and the conversation went very smoothly. Overall, I had a great experience with the symposium because I was able to get over my fear a little more and become more outgoing.