Rural Education for Americans Project(REAP)
I first heard about REAP towards the end of my eighth grade year. However, it wasn't until my freshmen year of high school that I decided to join. I was inspired to join, because it gives me an opportunity to earn money for getting good grades, which in turn, motivates me to do well in school. REAP is very selective in who can join, in order to be a part of REAP, there are certain requirements involving your parent's annual income, one or more of your parents have to be a first-generation immigrant, and parent's level of education. Since I am eligible to be a part of REAP, I am fortunate enough to have opportunities that other people my age don't get, and am rewarded for my hard work in school.
Future Business Leaders of America (F BLA)
FBLA is special because it is a nation wide club, with branches all throughout the United States. I have been an active member in FBLA since I was a freshmen. So far, I have been able to attend three Central Section conferences (2013,2014,2015). Each year is unique and full of competitive fun. FBLA helps me learn how to present and behave myself in the professional world, as well as improving my public speaking skills, leaderships skills, and working in groups efficiently.
National Spanish Honors Society
I am a very proud member of the National Spanish Honors Society. This is my first year in it, because to join you must apply by writing an essay in Spanish explaining why you should be selected, be currently enrolled in either AP Spanish Language, AP Spanish Literature, or a third year of a regular Spanish class, and maintain a minimum of a 3.5 GPA , as well as staying on pace in your classes. I love being a part of a club that celebrates my first language and be surrounded by people who are just as motivated as me to do well in school.
Prom Committee
The first time I heard about my school's prom committee, I was a sophomore, and I had a friend who was in it; he triggered my interest in the committee. When junior year came around, I was given the opportunity to become a member and collaborate with my peers to organize our "dream" prom. It was a great experience, because I got to voice my opinions on what I thought should and shouldn't be included in the 2015 prom, and all of my opinions were acknowledged. During the time prior to prom, the other committee members and I would hold meetings to discuss plans as far as themes, decorations, treats, costs, and all other important topics relating to prom. This experience contributed to my development of group collaboration skills and towards learning to express my thoughts and opinions to others. I really enjoyed taking part in helping plan the 2015 prom.
Drama Club
For as long as I can remember, I've had a love for the preforming arts, be that acting, singing, dancing, you name it, I hold so much respect for the arts. Even as a little girl, I remember loving to play pretend with my siblings and friends. Once I got to high school, I found a new opportunity to play pretend in a more age appropriate way. As a freshman, I was not in the Drama Club, but I took the class and thoroughly enjoyed it. As a sophomore, I was determined to not let my chance to join the Drama Club slip away, and I ended up getting a lead role in that year's annual spring musical. The name of the 2013 spring musical was Sympathy Jones: The New Secret Agent, it was a wonderful experience. I loved being a part of the whole process, from learning the script, to learning the choreography, making props, costumes, and even the clean-up process afterwards, I loved it all. Drama club is my favorite club out of all the other ones, because it is the one where I feel most comfortable in, the one that I have the most fun in, and the one where I can be silly without worrying about being judged. My junior year, I didn't hesitate to join once again, and this time, as Vice President. Junior year was also the first time I got the lead character/ protagonist of the 2015 spring musical called Zombies from the Beyond, which was a dream come true to a theater fanatic like me. I also have great appreciation and respect for the adviser of the club, Ms. Skinner. For as long as I've known her, she has been kind, incredibly intelligent, uplifting, honest, and with endless insight. Drama club has really helped me come out of my shell and turned me into someone who no longer freezes up when speaking in public or groups of people. A big part of who I am today has been because of the people I've met through this really special club. Now that i'm a senior, and Drama Club President, I look forward to taking on more responsibility in the Drama Club, and getting everyone in the club more involved.
My Strength
The My Strength club is actually intended for males only, but I was an exception. I first heard about the club through my boyfriend, who was an active member for three years. When I attended one of the meetings, I had no intention of joining, I was only there to watch. However, everyone in the club was so welcoming to me that I found myself going to the meetings more frequently, and before I knew it, I was already wearing the club t-shirts, participating in the events that they held, and volunteering to help out. My Strength is different from other clubs on campus, because it focuses on redefining what it means to be "masculine". During the meetings, sensitive topics are discussed regarding sexual harassment and teen dating violence, but unlike the average teenage boy, the guys of My Strength have a higher maturity level and take all topics seriously. My Strength has embedded in me a new-found respect for the guys of my generation, and they have proven that even just a couple of guys standing against the traditional "masculine" behavior, can really make an impact.
Book Club
Originally, I had joined the Book Club as a freshmen since I've always enjoyed reading for pleasure. The first year was really great, we read at least three different books that year, and we would have meetings to discuss the book. It was a pleasant hobby I had, but then my sophomore year, there was no adviser to be in charge of the club, so there simply wasn't a Book Club that year. My junior year, the club came back because we had finally found a new adviser to be in charge. Unfortunately, there were several bumps along the road, so we only ever got to read one book called Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult , and then there was never another meeting to discuss the book. That was also disappointing, because I would've liked to discuss the book with the other Book Club members. I still have high hopes that the Book Club for my senior year will be just as successful as the one we had when I was a freshmen. I really enjoyed being part of the club during my freshmen year, because it's always nice to have a sense of belonging with people who enjoy the same things you do.
Adventure Club
I have been a member of the Adventure Club for three years, the club focuses on fundraising money for an end of the year trip to do something adventurous and out of your comfort zone. Although I've been a member for three years, I only got the opportunity to go on one of the trips, because the first year it was canceled due to an impromptu blizzard. Luckily enough, the next year we all got to go and the weather didn't interfere with our plans anymore. During the winter of 2013, the Adventure Club went snowboarding/skiing to the mountains. I had a wonderful time, and it was a thrilling experience to get out of my comfort zone for a day, by rapidly sliding down slopes with my feet strapped onto a board. This year, we are hoping to go on yet another adventure!
Volleyball
Volleyball used to be a sport that I really enjoyed when I was younger, I joined because I had already played for my eighth grade volleyball team and really enjoyed it then, so I thought it would be fun to also play in high school. As a freshmen, I was on the freshmen/sophomore team, and while I had some fun times playing for my school, I didn't like that the team only seemed to care about winning, rather than having fun. Since I wasn't having fun playing for the school, there wasn't really a point in playing competitively anymore. Even though volleyball didn't work out for me, I don't regret trying it out, because it helped me learn to walk away from things that were making me more upset than they did happy. I really believe that it's important to know that you never have to do something you don't want to, and instead find something you do like doing.
Track and Field
My 9th grade year, a couple of months after volleyball season, I decided to try out a new sport. I knew I wanted to try something I'd never done before, and at the time, a track and field team was in the making. Lindsay High School hadn't had a track and field team in years, so it was an exciting experience to be a part of the original new team. Initially, it was very challenging, I'll admit, but the more I practiced, the more I improved. I particularly loved being a part of this team, because although it was also competitive, all of the team members were supportive of each other, and never gave you criticism that wasn't constructive. I only ran for the track and field team during my freshmen year, because it went on during the same time the school musical happened, so I had to make a choice. I chose theater. If there was a way for me to do both track and theater, it would've been ideal, but there wasn't. I loved being a part of the track and field team, because it taught me leadership skills, improved my physical health, as well as my mental health, because I learned how to push past my limits. It helped me so much that I ended up being named co-captain of the team, which I was very proud of, and still am to this day.
Tennis
Tennis has been a part of my life for three years now, my sophomore, junior, and now senior year. I took up the sport of tennis instead of continuing volleyball my sophomore year, and I'm glad I did. I found that the tennis girls were really more my people, and although winning is always important in sports, it wasn't everything. I love going to practices, because they're a lot of fun and actually focused on practicing our techniques, instead of engaging in intense workouts. Tennis provides me with a sense of unity with the other girls, and it's a great way to relieve stress after a long day of school. Throughout my time on the tennis team, I have earned one Junior Varsity letter and one Varsity letter, as well as two pins to go along with the letters.
SCICON Counselor -- School of Science and Conservation
My sophomore year, I was given an opportunity to be a SCICON counselor for a week, away from my family, with no way of communicating with them. It was a refreshing experience to get away from daily troubles, and just enjoy nature. As a counselor, it was my responsibility to watch after ten to twelve sixth grade girls. Responsibilities included: getting them all showered and dressed on time, keeping an eye on them during hikes, eating with them during their meals and helping them set and clean up, singing with them, and much more. It was stressful at times to almost always have to watch the time and taking care of little kids, but it was worth it. I had fun singing with them, joining them on their trail hikes, and watching them experience SCICON for the first time. It was an experience that required great patience, being very careful with what I said, always being aware, and always engaging with them to ensure that they have the most fun they can. It's an experience I look back on with pride that I could help those children make the most out of the once-in-a-lifetime experience that is going to SCICON as a student, not as a counselor.
Drug Store Project
The Drug Store Project was a collaborative effort between the local police force, fire and paramedic department, military representatives, Reagan Elementary's school staff, and a handful of high school students to set up a scenario for the sixth grade students to learn about the real dangers of drug use. The project was intended to prevent soon-to-be teenagers from getting into substance use, since they are the world's future leaders. It was an honor to be able to take part in such a good cause, I love the message they were sending to the children and that I got to help deliver that message through doing what I love; acting. It was an experience that helped me employ my public speaking skills, improvisation skills, and overall skills needed to pull off convincing performances.
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