Get Involved by Katie

Get Involved by Katie - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

It is a fact that students who are more involved on campus do better in the long run. Whether it is in sports and recreation; student government; or some special interest club, involvement is crucial to the college experience.

And yes, it is possible to participate in activities on campus or join clubs without taking on any kind of leadership responsibility, but leading too makes for more successful students.

I experienced this phenomenon for myself in high school. During my sophomore year I was the new kid on campus, just transferred from on online school to a brick-and-mortar one. My parents encouraged me to get involved – I needed to make friends, I needed some extracurricular activities to fill out my resume, and a host of other reasons – and so I did. I joined my school’s Key Club and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) to please them.

That first year I did okay. My academic success wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t great – it was just okay. One thing that I had learned that year though, was that I really enjoyed FBLA. I was a little embarrassed about it, because not only was I taking AP and Honors classes, but I also liked to run fake meetings according to Robert’s Rules of Order. Yet even so, I stuck with the club and pursued a leadership position for the next year.

My junior year was perhaps my best year in high school. After being elected as my FBLA chapter’s public relations officer, I was filled with a new enthusiasm for school that I had never experienced before. I went to school everyday excited to learn and to work to better my chapter because I had finally found a group of friends that shared a common interest with me.

Leadership was not essential for my transformation. I’m sure that I would have experienced some kind of boost from my involvement in FBLA, even if only as a member. But there was something about being on a team of officers that made the experience more meaningful. I had a better relationship with my fellow club members than I likely would have otherwise, and I was more invested in the wellbeing of the chapter because it was proof that I had accomplished something. Leadership gave me the drive to do well in school, and it has transformed me into the type of person that craves positions of authority.