Photo by Suhani Kamal

Key Club booth during club rush on Jan. 23 at lunch, featuring Dieu-Thien Vu, the president of the club, and two fellow members.

At Mission Hills, school clubs play a pivotal role in nurturing a vibrant and inclusive student community. The clubs offer valuable opportunities for personal growth, skill development and meaningful connections among students with shared interests and passions.
“Joining key club in my sophomore year was a great choice that I have no regrets in making, as it has helped me grow in so many ways such as leadership and speaking up,” said senior Thien Vu, the president of Key Club at MHHS.
Participating in school clubs brings numerous benefits from various domains, such as skill development and social engagement. As Vu shared, being a part of Key Club helped her come out of her shell and rise above, as she is now the president of the club. While Vu benefitted in being more confident, other students noted they benefited socially as well.
“I’m a part of many clubs, but I would have to say joining comedy club was amazing, as I got to meet other students who, like me, enjoyed being humorous and had a fondness for comedy,” said freshman Dahlia Valencia.
Valencia’s involvement in clubs allowed her to meet others that shared similar passions, but she is far from the only one who values making new friends with a common interest. Every student has the opportunity to do something they are enthusiastic about and forge new friendships through it by joining a club that appeals to them. While you can benefit socially from joining a school club, there is also another advantage: learning new things and increasing your knowledge
“Mock Trial is beneficial for everyone—even if you don’t want to go into law. It builds your analysis and reasoning skills, develops your ability to argue (if you’re an attorney), and trains you how to perform/act out a story (if you’re a witness),” said junior and President of Mock Trial Dhruv Ajit.
As Ajit shared, even though Mock Trial focuses on law, you can still gain a lot of knowledge in various concepts that can be essential for the future. High school is the perfect time for students to explore, as they can find opportunities to try new things which could entirely change their plans for the time ahead. For example, if you become a part of Mock Trial and enjoy participating in the law cases they conduct, you may find yourself interested in a new career path.
Through joining a club at school, new opportunities may open up alongside immediate benefits like friendship and new experiences with peers, so it is highly encouraged to do so.
“I think joining a club at school is very important and every student should take part in at least one, as there will be many positive effects,” said Valencia.