As students at OLu, we have many options as to which classes to take and extracurriculars to be involved in—having this choice is a blessing, but it can feel intimidating. As many of us start looking towards next semester and next year, it can be overwhelming to figure out our plans, especially for those who are new to OLu or unaware of all it has to offer, so I wanted to highlight the value in participating in different pathways, leadership teams, and other extracurriculars.
Alexandria Lim, junior, is part of a variety of activities at OLu: she is a yearbook editor and an ambassadors board member; she is also involved in the STEM pathway, the leadership development academy, and girls varsity lacrosse. When asked to reflect on her experiences at OLu, Lim said, “I chose my activities because I have a passion and love for them. For example, yearbook allows me to speak for someone else that can’t speak for themselves on a yearbook page. I love seeing the reactions of people when they first receive their yearbook at the end of the year. It warms my heart. I’m also an editor in yearbook and I can grow my leadership. Another activity like ambassadors has allowed me to grow my leadership and meet great new people. I can talk to strangers and people of all ages. I love how my extracurriculars have helped me grow as a person.”
Angelina Risnoveanu, junior, is involved in the humanities, STEM, and visual arts pathways as well as the ambassadors and diffusion leadership teams. Reflecting on her initial desire to join these pathways, Risnoveanu says she “chose humanities for the writing freedom that it allows and the amazing sense of community.” She also appreciates the Arts Academy as it “provides so many different opportunities to learn not only art skills but the history behind it through museum visits and other fun, interactive events.”
Based on my personal experiences, as well as others’ testimonies, I’ve found that the skills and communities provided by extracurriculars are invaluable. As students, sometimes academic achievement or college admission feels like the utmost priority, but extracurriculars (which we can both enjoy and include on our résumés) can be a source of community, provide creative outlets, and help us grow as leaders and individuals. So, for those who are considering trying something new next year, I’d highly encourage you to venture out to pursue your passions—and perhaps discover new ones.
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Photo Credit: Google
