Clubs and extracurricular activities: all for show?
With college becoming ever more competitive, resume plumping has become common. Yet while Aragon students sign up for a college-worthy resume packed with extracurricular, many do it simply to satisfy their own passions and interests,
“All the activities I do, I have been doing it for three to four years now like BSU, Love More, and Leadership,” says senior Laci Moore.
Senior Jason Lee says, “I am on the swim team right now. I also participate in activities at my church. We sing songs and make food for the homeless.”
Senior June Jiao enjoys giving back to the community. She says, “I did one program called ‘College for Kids’ where elementary kids take classes at CSM. We are just basically helping them with their classes and get around.”
Moreover, having a variety of skills and interest is also attractive to colleges. Lee says, “I am … a member of Glee cub, Tutor club, and Christian club. I do it because it is fun and I get to be with my friends and meet new people.”
“When I was a freshman and a sophomore, I had more time to do tennis and badminton,” says Jiao.
“Right now, I am working at the ice center of San Mateo and I am planning to continue it because it is really fun.”
With all these overwhelming commitments, some seniors say passion drives them to continue. Lee says, “Because this is my last year in high school, I want to make the best of it. [These activities] make you more outgoing and help you learn more about life. It’s more exciting when I find that the people I know are in the same club as I am.”
Jiao agrees, saying, “I created a club because I wanted to do something with my group of friends and we decided to get together and talk about our common interest.”
These extracurricular activities also give students a glimpse of their future. Moore says, “I wanted to be a veterinarian so I volunteered at SPCA. I feel like that if you want to do something, you should know what the job is like. Then after that, I decided I did not want to be a veterinarian anymore. I realized that I like organizing and planning things. I want to be a wedding planner.”
Senior Anjana Amirapu says, “I do things that I am interested in taking as a major. I was thinking of art conservation so I volunteered in an art museum.”
Senior Charles Grant, who attends the Malonga Casqualord Center for the Arts in Oakland, adds, “In order for me to go to a dance school and become a dancer, I had to keep up with my dancing.”
However, doing four years of active participation in clubs, sports, and community services can be exhausting. Amirapu says, “I think the commitment and everything that I had from years before is a bit less. You are kind of like ‘Ok, once I am done, I do not have to do it anymore.’ You kind of see yourself at the end of the road and you do not have to worry about these things anymore.
“But then I feel guilty because I do not want to leave the next students [who are the next president or vice president of the club] in a weird position where they do not know what to do.”
In the end, most students agree that they participate in these activities because of the personal growth that they gain. Amirapu says, “If you are just doing it for college, it is just really wrong.”
Moore agrees, “I join these clubs [BSU and Love More] because I was interested in them and I want to learn more. It turned out that I love those clubs and I stuck with them.” Jiao adds, “Following your interest and dreams is the most important.”
Having activities and community services helps to strengthen someone’s college resume, but the experience and knowledge gained in these activities also helps students to grow as individuals.
