The single most important thing to me throughout the past four years has been my extracurricular involvement. It has truly kept me sane throughout the stress of high school. Funnily enough, it has also been the root of a lot of my stress. It was all very much worth it in the end, though. I suppose I should focus on the two things that I hold most dear to my heart in terms of high school life: Environmental Club and Choir. The thing with Environmental Club is this: I accidentally became the president. Fall semester of sophomore year, I realized that I had made a fatal mistake by not involving myself with much of anything as a freshman. Naturally, I decided to join the one club whose president I knew. I gradually became more involved with the small number of service projects that the club executed. By the end of my sophomore year, I was thoroughly enjoying becoming more aware of the environment around me -- both scientifically and socially. The thing is, there were only five members of the club...and four of them were seniors. At the end of the year, the club members graduated. That left me, the only remaining member, with the club's entire future in my hands. Alas, I entered junior year with a lot of freedom, pressure, and uncertainty. I worked relentlessly to build up the club into something that I could be proud of, and I am happy to say that I have accomplished this feat. I have tremendously increased the club's influence in the community, as well as within the student body. The number of service projects has increased dramatically, as has the number of members. Considering it had a grand total of one at the beginning of my junior year, I'd say the current standing of around 35 members is quite impressive. Joining choir was also one of the best decisions I have made in the past four years. Allowing myself to be vulnerable enough to share something as personal as singing has forced me to grow a deeper level of confidence and trust. Being involved in the chorus has also made me more aware of the fact that I thrive when singing with a group. With that being said, by senior year I had gathered enough confidence to audition for my school's a cappella group. In December, I auditioned and was given a spot! Of the 130+ students in the choir program, a cappella has less than 20 members. I am immensely proud of myself for accomplishing something like that. Freshman me would be wildly impressed. While I am not particularly fond of performing alone, rehearsing and performing with a group of others creates a bond that cannot be replicated. The feeling of pure unity and harmony creates such a warm, indescribable feeling that I know I will miss. Some other organizations I am a part of include the following: Journey Christian Church; National FFA Organization; Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Academic Team; Students Against Destructive Decisions; National Honor Society; Yearbook; and Drama Club. Each of these organizations represent values that I strongly support, and I am very proud to be involved with them. ** APRIL UPDATE: Along with those previously listed, I have added a new and exciting activity: the musical. I gathered the courage to audition for the BCHS production of Beauty and the Beast, Jr., and something crazy happened: I got a lead role. I played the part of Madame de la Grande Bouche (otherwise known as the wardrobe). It was honestly one of the best experiences of my life. I built many friendships, some of which I know will last a lifetime. The entire production has forced me to open up to people, build relationships and trust, and gain more confidence in my singing ability. I never thought I would be able to achieve such a large project, but I am so grateful to have done it.
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AuthorLet's face it: high school is both good and bad. I choose to focus on the good, generally. I'll choose to do the same here. |