After a long year of online school, it is finally time to connect with others in person, and there is no better way to find the group you’ll stay with for the rest of high school than by joining a club.

Joining clubs is an excellent way to explore what you like, meet new friends and connect with the rest of the school. Tualatin High School offers a wide range of clubs that allow students to enjoy interests and hobbies from business and health, to debate and robotics.

CommuniCare, for example, is a club that works with a grant-making foundation to create a difference in our community. Vice president Simone Sienkiewicz shared her experience working with the group.

“The purpose of CommuniCare is to help out the community. Each year we have a different mission statement, and we do fundraisers and give grants to different non-profits,” Sienkiewicz said. “It’s just a really great experience; it builds teamwork skills and money management skills, and it’s cool to learn about things that you wouldn’t know are happening in our community and to make change in things that you’re interested in.”

CommuniCare is a club that any student can join.

“It is the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had, just being a part of CommuniCare, and I totally recommend it for anybody,” Sienkiewicz added.

Another club, National Honor Society (NHS), provides juniors and seniors with various ways to volunteer. Co-president Amanda Jiricek spoke on why people should join.

“NHS is a club that takes high-GPA students and gives them opportunities at volunteering. If you’re a good student and are interested in volunteering, it’s a fun way to get scholarships and looks great on college applications,” Jiricek said.

Since the school year has just begun, students who come to the first few club meetings are usually not expected to commit as year-long members. So don’t be afraid to try out as many clubs as you’d like, because you never know where you’ll be making your best high school memories.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Simone Sienkiewicz