I live so far in the countryside that my neighbor is the only thing between my house and the Hoosier National Forest, and that neighbor had a cow farm until a few years ago. Living so far from town with two working parents and no spare car, it’s been difficult participating in activities in school or town. However, when I overcame this by joining Science Olympiad and immersing myself in academic clubs, I started down a path that led me through years of intellectual and personal development which have helped me decide to go into engineering in college. Finding a way to join Science Olympiad led to personal growth as I explored my abilities and limitations not only academically but also personally. I was able to join without overly straining my parent's schedules by staying after school for as long as they stayed at work, but to do this I had to learn to balance my responsibilities. During the peak build season I wake up at six thirty and get home as late as ten, but I also have chores like stacking firewood since my family has no electric …show more content…
I’ve learned about satellites, the physics of light and lasers, material sciences, projectile motion, documentation for experimentation, etc., with the added challenge of using these skills to build and design devices for competition. In my sophomore year, I built a robot arm that won first at regionals and was inspired to join two robotics teams the following year, where I learned spatial thinking skills, basic programming, power tools functions, and how to use informational resources. These resources are necessary for Science Olympiad as well, and range from internet forums to college textbooks. I have also learned about leadership through teaching other students and being captain of two of these clubs. The skills and information I’ve learned have helped me through classes, competitions, and everyday
Some of my extracurricular activities include Science Olympiad, STEM Academy, International Club, Advanced Academics Club, and Chem Club. During high school I have participated in various community-based organizations, the two most common being Beta Club and National Honor Society. However while these clubs have allowed me to give back to my community in numerous ways, it was strangely not either of these clubs that expanded my interest in the following particular social issue. Rather it was my involvement in Science Olympiad, specifically volunteering to help run a local Elementary school tournament, that expanded my view of the STEM field.
“When schools, parents, families, and communities work together to support learning, students tend to earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, stay in school longer, and enroll in higher level programs.” (Van Roeckel, 2008, p. 1) Deer Valley High School in Glendale, AZ is the first high school built in the Deer Valley Unified Scholl District, and with a population around 1800 students, the high school is one of the bigger schools in the state. It has a tradition of family on its’ campus, where there are still teachers teaching that were there when the school opened in 1980. A number of former students have become new teachers on campus and just about all the teachers’ children have attended and graduated from the campus. With a school like ours, there are many connections to the community around it and it is demonstrated by the programs that bring in parent and community to help with the development of our students. There are numerous booster clubs run on our campus to help support student achievement on the sports fields, a school to work programs to teach the students necessary skills in different areas of either nursing, sports medicine classes, and in the culinary arts classrooms, and funding to our school to help ensure all students graduate on time. There are many programs on our campus, but I will discuss four of the programs: baseball booster club, C2G program, “school-to-work”, and the special education program sponsored by Arrowhead Hospital. These programs are designed to improve the relationships between the campus and the people in the community, and give all students on campus every opportunity to succeed in their future.
It is one thing to have the knowledge of “the practice of mobilizing people to tackle tough challenges and thrive”. What I am persistent to do with that knowledge is what is important. My biggest take away is that I need to get on the balcony. By being on the balcony I can see that is it really the bold guy with the dance moves who starts the party, not the DJ. Silly to me that I never realized that is where I needed to be, that is where people could find me in a real life party. A year from now I hope that is still where I will be, looking for new data and learning more about myself in new circumstances. There will always be more to learn, although every once in a while I will have to intervene in situations that will make me uncomfortable. To carry on improving on the skills I picked up during the course of this class, it will be crucial for me to reevaluate the goals I set for myself. I plan to reset them all and provide myself with a timeline to achieve the goals. KU offers a minor in leadership studies and this classes is the foundation for all of those leadership classes to come. This class will be impossible to forget as I move forward in complete my minor. I will be using what I have learned in this class still three years from, it is kind of
In high school, I was part of SkillsUSA, a national organization that heavily focused on Career and Technical Education for students in high school and in college. It was my junior year in high school and I had become fascinated with this organization. There are many types of competitions such as cosmetology or architecture and engineering where students can showcase their talents along with what they have learned in school. My range of skills allowed me to compete in different types of computer and leadership competitions. This led me to many different experiences that have greatly influenced my personality and have allowed me to learn that there are many important aspects to have a good character. Having won some competitions and lost others has given me experiences that allowed me to improve myself and to truly understand how some parts of our personality are important.
Hundreds of thoughts swarm through my head, as I think of potential car and launcher designs. It was the beginning of 8th grade. A new year of middle school, a new year of Science Olympiad, a new year of studying for my events, and a new year of challenges: my first building event, Scrambler. I’ve always been interested in science, specifically medicine, ever since I was 7 or 8. I read a book called When I Grow Up, I Want to Be a Doctor, which inspired me to aspire to become a doctor. Ever since then, I’ve been exploring the field of science and medicine through a variety of learning experiences such as Science Olympiad, a science competition consisting of several events that cater to a variety of fields in science. This year, my partner and I were faced with the task of building a mechanical vehicle, powered by a falling mass, that is capable of traveling down a straight, level track with a barrier at the end while carrying an
Meanwhile, at Great Oak High School, I have been busy with my classes and extracurriculars. Academically, I try to challenge myself and go outside my comfort zone by taking 3 rigorous AP classes. Moreover, I have a great passion for learning especially math and science. In the Deerfield Daily Bulletin, I read about an interesting summer research program called Research Science Institute (RSI) at MIT, where Deerfield students go to study over the summer. I wish to go to that program too. For extracurriculars, I love to do community service because I love to help people. ...
Most of the things that I have learned of that greater importance are skills that have what it takes to literally last an entire life time. To gain and strengthen skills is an important thing to do at any age; however, I see it as of even more importance to so at such a young age as myself. Like many others, I have lacked or struggled in certain areas or skills. However, it is taking chances and building on those skill areas through taking on experiences like this one that makes all the difference. One of those skills I have expanded on is my leadership skills. During this period, becoming aware and knowing the correct way of helping/leading the students to get to the end objective became extremely important. I had to become someone that would guide others to achieve the shared goal of officially becoming a NHCC student. Being somebody that people follow and look up to for answers is a big responsibility. Also, knowing that what I do and how I respond effects the experience for them is a great responsibility. Leadership skills go far and beyond the class room. The skills in this area for me
Throughout my first year in middle school I have really started taking great thought into my future. I have realized that I am getting closer to my adult life and that I need to start to plan for the type of future that I wish to have. As much as I enjoy team activities, I do think of myself as more of a leader and would like to go about planning my career in this way. I am determined to go about things at an advanced pace which is why I believe I should be part of the National Junior Honor Society.
Being involved in school and community activities should not be a way to impress colleges or keep oneself busy to simply avoid boredom. Having a pure, unselfish need to help others in any way possible is the real reason anyone should be involved. Many times in life, people take what they have for granted. Cecilia Ahern said, “Time cannot be packaged and ribboned and left under trees for Christmas morning. Time can’t be given. But it can...
Being nominated for the National Honor Society is an honor and a privilege. Throughout my high school career at The Good Hope Country Day School, I have strove to achieve the best potential grades. Aside from academics, I also strive for success in athletics. I have been a member of my swim team for nine years. Presently, I am a co-captain of the team. From being a captain, I have learned the essential qualities needed for Leadership. I have learned how to create unity and build strength within a group, and how to cope with issues in a group. These skills can be used anywhere whether it be on the team, at school, or in the community. As a member of the Interact Club and Student Council I am very involved in the community service events and fundraisers, as well as events at school. Apart from school I lifeguard and teach swim lessons for community service. I am an extremely dedicated person. I follow a rigorous daily routine starting with practice, them school, then another practice and then home for homework. School, sports, and family have always been my top priorities. I believe that my leadership, positive attitude and determination for success will make me a great attribute to the National Honor Society. It would be an honor to be inducted into the National Honor Society.
Simple extracurricular activities such as cross-country and track as a whole remained mysteries to me since my school did not offer such activities. Nevertheless, I remained content in the Evangel Heights culture, for it is a pleasant culture. I still had friends, learned basic algebra, and even learned all sixty-six books of the Bible. What more could I ask for?
In my life, I have been fortunate enough to have been given multiple chances on numerous occasions to participate in events and activities that have brought me out of my comfort zone. While not all of them coerced me on the path towards my future, they were useful to understand what other people may be encounter on a regular basis. One of my first opportunities that began to shape my future was when I went to a STEM camp when I was 9 years old. At the summer camp, we learned about some of the different programs they have at Miami Valley Career Technology Center, and we did some basic introductory projects so that we could see what happens in each class. The variety of the projects and unique experiences of each individual project began to expand my view
The multitudes of extracurricular and academic activities I participate in were chosen because of their focus on my interests. I want to pursue a career in computer engineering and/or biological engineering. In order to help me accomplish this I carefully consider how extracurricular and academic activities will assist me in the future. Currently I am participating in several rigorous academic courses such as AP Physics C and AP Calculus BC to gear me towards a college environment, as well as a variety of clubs that focus on engineering and the sciences. A vast majority of the classes I take are advanced placement, which gives me the chance to obtain college credit before entering college. Advance placement classes also challenge me with faster paced instruction, which prepare me for the speed and difficulty of college level courses. I am currently taking AP Biology, AP Computer Science A, , AP Literature and Composition, AP U.S. Government and Politics, Pre-AP Chinese IV, and Honors Independent Research. In terms of extracurricular activities, I currently participate in the Stock Market Club, Science and Engineering Club, our school’s FRC team, and Chinese Club. In my free time I enjoy building computers, putting together parts lists for computers, programming, playing video games, and learning about various technical jobs and new computing technologies such as server administrator and quantum computing.
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