Saint Cloud high school students buzzed around the courtyard during this year’s Club Rush in search of a club or activity to join. Bulldogs may have many different reasons to join a club, mostly to build a school community.
Students mainly view clubs as a place to make connections with their peers. In particular, at SCHS, the Improv Troupe: Comedic Timing is a group that focuses on uniting students through a common love of acting and performing. This demonstrates how students are eager to being part of a community and take initiative to be active within that community. In addition, clubs also host social events that create a stronger community for their members. Many students enjoy this because they get an opportunity to make memories with the people they are getting to know, while being informed of new community service events or upcoming club meetings.
Aside from community, many students are determined to pursue clubs because of the opportunities that they offer. Many clubs offer various forms of career preparation. Students, like the members of Law Dogs, have joined for the opportunity to educate themselves further in the field of law. This type of possibility draws many students to join clubs, not only to gain experience, but to also filter out career choices and have options that may suit them best for the future. As for scholarships, many clubs present them and invite students to participate in community service events for the opportunity to gain volunteer hours, vital for when they apply for local scholarships, such as Florida Bright Futures. These forms of opportunities are highly appreciated amongst the students because of the possibility to gain experience from helping out with not only different types of community service, but also the ability to work towards meeting the amount of hours needed for scholarships, at the same time.
The Interact Club and The National Honor Society stand out among the rest. They provide chances for students to make impacts around their community. Their members also benefit from getting community service hours while having fun with their groups and are exposed to other opportunities such as the RYLA leadership camp, a camp in which students can develop leadership skills, confidence, and knowledge that students can gain. These clubs are very well recognized on the national and local level for their impacts on the community, and for how they inspire students to be academically competitive.
One of Saint Cloud High School’s values is leadership, and many clubs within the school allow for students to display that within their group. Several clubs around on campus have a leadership committee that works hard to keep their clubs organized. They also keep members and non-members informed on what opportunities are offered by their clubs. Many students feel determined to be part of a leadership group. Some students strive to take on roles such as secretary, president, or historian and get assigned different responsibilities. Other students display leadership skills by stepping up and being helpful to their clubs and the community in general, this could include helping the clubs with presentations, or even volunteer sign-ups.
Other students may feel hesitant about joining a club or perhaps their circumstances do not allow them to be very active in a club. Regardless, these students can still drive their motivation towards their academics, sports, and jobs and have impacts on these fields. Therefore, being leaders and examples of excellence in different ways.
It seems there is something for everyone around the school. According to the Saint Cloud High School’s Clubs Overview website, there are more than 30 clubs offered at SCHS. There is always an opportunity to be involved around every part of our campus.
