My earliest and most prominent DCON memory was from last year. It was my first ever district convention and I was looking forward to it so much because of all the hype that surrounded the exciting event. We had just arrived at the hotel in downtown Dallas. We finally got assigned our room keys and finished unpacking and settling in…then we went downstairs. I was prepared for your typical welcoming event situation. A few speakers, an overview of how the next three days would go, and maybe a few icebreakers. What awaited us downstairs was something I never would’ve imagined. The entire room was filled corner to corner with inflatable obstacle courses, ball pits, and several interactive games and activities. I met people from all across Texas and Oklahoma that I never would’ve imagined ever speaking to. It was honestly the best start to an even better DCON experience. That first welcoming day set the tone for the rest of the weekend. I think this certain experience has stuck with me because this was the moment I realized how much Key Club meant to me and changed me. When I first got into high school, I had never heard the words Key Club in my life. It was by pure chance that I found myself in Key Club. At the time I thought I was joining a club that would give me something fun to do on the weekends, but little did I know it would become such a huge part of my life throughout high school. In that moment I felt so grateful that I was a part of such a loving and welcoming Key Club family. Especially knowing myself and how big a role Key Club played in shaping me into the person I have become. For me that first day was filled with so much joy and happiness, and that carried over day after day after day. I think the beauty of seeing so many people come together from different states and connect like they’ve known each other their whole lives shows the impact Key Club has and the relationships it builds. Being in such a friendly and inviting atmosphere was so incredibly refreshing and a feeling I will never forget. The welcoming day at DCON 2017 is a day I hold dear to my heart to this very day. It showed me the reach this amazing club has and the relationships that stem from a genuine group of people who share common interests. That was a day and feeling I will never forget. Hello, my name is Kaitlyn Nguyen and I am a part of Cypress Ridge Key Club.
In our club, we have amazing communication with one another. In order to be a successful club/organization, we need to be able to communicate with our members, as officers. In our club, we decided to have some of the few famous social medias. For example, we are really active with Facebook. On Facebook, we put all of our events and updates like an event being cancelled or the event being changed to a different location. We also have this thing called “Remind 101” and this allows us to message our members directly by sending them a message with the app. We use this incase a member does not have any social media or does not know when events are made. Remind 101 also gives weekly reminders when certain dates are coming like an event or to turn in dues. Another social media type we have is Instagram; Instagram is made to show people pictures we have taken during any events. It is also made to let people know that we have an event coming up, whether or not an event is made, or just a friendly photo. We do not always just post important dates and photos on our webpages. These social media accounts are also for us to become friends with our members and just show them that we are not just about volunteering, but that we are also a friendly group that wants every member to feel welcome. On each of our social medias, we are really fast at replying and we are super active. When a member is in need to know something, we are able to help them as soon as possible. Even when the public relations person is busy, we have other people that can respond for her. By being so active in the social media community, we are close to our members. We do not treat our members as people who are below us, we treat them with respect and therefore, they treat us with respect. By being nice, our bond with the members is stronger than others. Also, by being on a lot of popular social medias, our membership communication as increased by a lot. Like on our Instagram, we just reached 100 followers and is currently increasing. This key club year to me has been the best one yet. With every year comes more experience and more passion towards volunteering Unlike the other previous year I feel more achieved of having helped many more people than before. There have been many events that have made a great difference to me. But one particular event impacted me the most which was the Da Vinci Day held at Cypress Ridge High school. The Da Vinci was an event where volunteers were responsible for a certain age group and helped in a certain area where helped was needed. Unlike other events I was able to directly help children a passion I have had ever since I was little. I was assigned to the Escape Room activity room where children were assigned five to a table and had to resolve their problem to get a code which would open the treasure chest. Each of the seven teams had to find their own code to unlock the seven locks to open the treasure chest. Once they finished they had to find another solution to open the tiny box where their prize waited. I was astonished of how well the group where able to work as a group. As I observed the children I watched as each person collaborated into the work until they all resolved it together as a group. When the group would find the right code I felt a sense of joy for them. They were excited and would begin to head to other to help their peers finish the problem. Each child I saw contributed something that others had not thought about. Those children were really excited and motivated. Their determination and happiness made me feel for a couple of hours of when I was young. I couldn’t believe how smart the children were in front of me. Not only were the children smart but they were calm and determined. What made this event so special to me was that it reminded me of why I started to volunteer. I started to volunteer because of my love towards helping. The reason why I began volunteering was that there was once a child whose parents were unable to afford clothes and food for him. I felt so proud of myself when I handed him a bag of groceries and a bag full of clothes. Upon seeing those children work so hard it gave me a sense of hope that the future generation is not all lost to technology. Why Key Club?
When I arrived at Cypress Ridge High School, I was overwhelmed to say the least. For nine years I had attended a charter school roughly ⅕ the size of Cy-Ridge. There weren’t many people, and there weren’t many clubs. So when I walk into this huge amazing school and see that I actually have options, I was shocked. There were so many ways to express yourself through the clubs; you had a creative writing club, a programming club, and even a bowling team. What really stood out to me though was the myriad of different service organizations available to join. Before I came to Ridge, I wasn’t even aware there was such thing as a volunteer club! It blew my mind that you could help out people right at your school. I knew immediately that I had to seize this opportunity. I was now faced with the tough choice of choosing which one to partake in. There were so many… Interact, Key Club, HOSA, NHS, the list went on. How would I know which one to choose? Because I knew nothing of any of the clubs, I decided to ask people who did. I heard that Interact was centered around the environment. Although I think it’s a noble cause, it didn’t fit the vibe I was going for. Some sophomores told me that HOSA was a health-based volunteer club, but I wasn’t interested in the med field. Although it sounded really fun, NHS wasn’t an option until junior year. Then someone told me about Key Club. When I learned that they were a club focused solely on helping the community, I knew I had to join. So, I decided to join the club. Took me a while to find out where and when the meeting was, but it was well worth it! I joined Facebook but didn’t immediately sign up for events. Truth be told, I didn’t know anyone in the club and was quite terrified of going to the volunteer events. When I finally warmed up to it though, everybody was so nice! Key Club has provided me with the opportunity to meet some of my closest friends, and some of my warmest memories stem from Key Club events. This volunteer organization allowed me to grow as a person, and to help many people along the way. All in all, I am very glad that I chose Key Club! I recommend this club to anybody who likes helping people and meeting new friends. Well, I think it’s safe to say this year has been hard on us all. Not only has school been a burden, but it seems the world is either on fire or in chaos. Personally, my family has had a hard year dealing with the loss of a close friend, and I’ve had to learn to prioritize personal life and work. It’s my first year on the Cy-Ridge Key Club officer board and it’s proven fairly difficult to have a successful personal life and maintain a strong presence in Key Club. Although I’m still learning how to manage it all, I’ve picked up a few tips that help along the way. First, you need to write everything out. When I say everything, I mean everything. Every officer you need to text, every family reunion date, every monthly report you need to write, and every movie date with your parents. Whether you keep it in a bullet journal, or on a whiteboard above your desk, just do it. If everything is not written out, you’re bound to forget something. It also helps you to visualize how much you’ve accomplished and what has yet to be done. Personally, I have a todo list app that lets me write things down as soon as I become aware of them, allowing me to keep a firm grasp on my tasks. Second, keep the bigger picture in mind when prioritizing your tasks. You have to remember, school is only a fraction of your life. Although it is a very important fraction, your personal problems should be addressed first. Now, this is not an excuse to not do any work in your Key Club. If you make a commitment to be involved, you fulfill that commitment. Your personal health should also be held higher than your work, which leads me to my next tip. Lastly, make time for yourself. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but getting a good night’s sleep or spending 30 minutes de-stressing will help you be more productive! If you save just half an hour of your day for personal time, it will make managing your tasks so much easier. I would come home from school and work on school and club tasks for hours, seemingly getting nowhere. When I started taking time for myself, I began noticing I was more efficient and proactive in my personal life and in Key Club. In conclusion, managing life and Key Club is challenging but doable. Make sure to write everything out, prioritize your time, and leave time for yourself. I hope you take these tips to heart, and use them during the upcoming school year! A letter to all:
College is a really big part of us students. I really encourage everyone of you Key Clubbers would take that into consideration. As the winter months slowly pass, college decision haunts all of the seniors of high school. Looking for the deadlines and getting your application finished and perfected in time seriously takes up a lot of your time. The best thing to prepare yourself is actually researching up information about admission prior. Stress is also a big thing in college and may be present in high school but I believe stress comes from being unprepared and unknowledgeable. To reduce stress, you need to get on top of your things. Ask your teachers for recommendation letters months before the deadline, write your college essays in the summer so when school starts you won’t get senioritis or get caught up with the high school vibe. A big crucial thing before going to college is having the correct mindset of what you are planning to do there. Uncertainty will definitely be swayed by peer pressure from your friends and might not truly match your interests. For example, joining a certain class, or having some fun at parties, or rushing freshman year for greek life.. These thing you have to have sorted out before you go into college. If not, then you’re just a lost student who goes with the flow of their classmates and not being who you are or who you want to be. Above all, school work and projects should be first. College is for educated. The experience of college will always supplement studying. The fun will never leave, you just need to be prepare to catch the right wave of fun. Honestly, college is supposed to be more fun than high school so treat it like you have something in the future. Do not treat it like high school. People are different, your time is different, your home life is different, but don’t let this be a barrier but an inspiration on exploring something new about you. This is the best time to find about what you like the most and college will have a wide variety that might interest you. Girls and social life are seriously not worth it when you are having so much fun playing football or joining a choir. Being prepared is the most crucial thing a person can obtain because it eases the path from bumps and you’ll be taking off and soaring from the joys of the world. Stay focus, stay true to yourself, and stay happy. Sincerely, Brian Chen It was five in the morning, pitch black, and freezing cold. It was my freshman year and I had been to a few events, but this was my first early morning type of event, and it was definitely a change of scene from what I was used to. We were standing around for about thirty minutes waiting before we were given specific instruction. For some strange reason I was nervous; I was a freshman and didn’t really know many people, so I was anxious to see how things would play out. Little did I know, that would be the day I realized Key Club would be a huge part of my high school career. The sun was finally starting to rise, and we had been assigned to the food station. After the runners finished their races, they would come get some refreshment: cut up bananas, Gatorade, bagels, pizza, rice crispy treats, etc. We were assigned to the children’s race, so we would be serving children ranging from ages 6 to about 16. When the race finally finished, we started getting an influx of people. Hundreds of sweaty and hungry kids came inside that medium sized tent with their parents, and we were extremely busy. The over one hundred children were no match for the mere 10 or so volunteers that were serving the food. Luckily, we started to get the hang of things, and managed to keep everything organized and flowing. There was one encounter that I always remember when I think back to that day. There was a little boy who ran the race and he was in line to get food with his mother. When she got to me she said, “Thank you so much for volunteering. It means a lot to us.” I don’t know what their situation was and I didn’t even know who she was for that matter, but the feeling I got when she said those words to me is something I will never forget. I love Key Club because, as cliché as it may sound, I love helping others. It’s like a joy is started up inside me when I can do something that will impact others in a positive day. Ever since this day, I have always loved volunteering and Key Club. Being able to have fun with my friends and do good for the community is something I will never take for granted. I can honestly and confidently say that I wouldn’t be where I am without Key Club. I was a really a shy girl that was just dying to get out and socialize. High school hit me hard, I was pushed into a surrounding with hundreds of strangers. Key Club changed my life because I can go up to anyone and have a conversation, I have so many friends, and I’m extremely sociable. Key Club brought the best out of me and I don’t know how to thank you. First day of freshman year, I was lost and confused. So many upperclassmen taking advantage of us underclassmen and the hallways were extremely crowded. One day, I heard over the announcement about a “Key Club meeting after school”, out of mere curiosity I proceeded to go. I walked in so unprepared, they wanted us to do ice breaker activities. Socializing with so many different peoples, ranging from every grade, race, and etc. I freaked out, I was new to this whole thing. Then, out of nowhere, a nice girl in one of my periods asked to be my partner. Since it was a familiar face, I felt a little bit more comfortable. After the ice breaker, they asked us to take a seat so they could go over basic information about the club. I went home contemplating if this club is the one for me. I was so different from this group of people I thought I could never fit in, but it was also an opportunity in getting out of my shell. I thought, “What the heck, let’s do it.” I filled out all the paperwork and turned it in the next day. Not a day goes by do I regret that decision. I am extremely thankful in my choice. I have so many friends whom I get to call my bestfriends, I can talk to anyone, and the shell I once was in was finally broken. Today, I am a Key Club officer. If anyone were to tell me that on the night of contemplation I would’ve never joined. Officers are active, fun and sociable, something I never considered myself as, so to be an officer for the club was just unbelievable. Key Club brought out the best in me and I couldn’t be happier! Key Club will always be part of my story and I’m excited to continue my journey. The transition from middle school to high school is a scary one. It’s always really nerve raking the first day: being in a new environment, not knowing everyone, and feeling alone can really be an overwhelming experience. I think one thing that is helpful when going into a new school year is your mindset. It is best to try and be open to new experiences. High school is all about finding who you are, making new friends, and having lots of fun throughout the process. Having a positive mindset really helps make your school experience a more enjoyable one.
The key to being open to new experiences is letting your guard down. Personally, I know how hard that can be because I used to be extremely closed off. I didn’t want to meet new people, I usually kept to myself, and the thought of socializing with people I didn’t know caused me great anxiety. A tip to help with being more open is to find one friend. That friend should be someone you trust and someone you are extremely comfortable with. Get to know them and build a strong friendship bond between the two of you. Before you know it, you’ll have made a new friend, increased your socialization skills, and become more comfortable in an environment that was once intimidating. Once you’ve made this friend, it’s likely they’ll have other friends you will start to interact with. From there, you continue to build on your friendships until you realize that you’ll be just fine. I experienced this first hand. Coming from middle school, half of the students went to one school and the other half went to another. Basically all of my friends went to the school I wasn’t going to. I was so nervous that I almost let it ruin my freshman year, but I soon realized that everything was going to be just fine. I let my barrier down and things began to fall into place for me. Transitioning from one school year to another can be stressful for several different reasons. The idea of being in a completely different scene can be full of stress and anxiety, but relaxing a little and letting your guard down can ease the pain. Going into this new school year, just be sure to take it one day at a time, not to stress too much, and to have as much fun as possible! I joined Key Club for a singular reason- so my college application would look better. I figured that Key Club would just be one of those things I did. My intentions were solely focused on volunteering at what I needed to volunteer at, and doing no more. It didn’t take me long to realize that KC was actually going to be a big part of my life. At the beginning of the year, I knew nobody in the club. Everybody that was in it seemed so connected already; it was impossible to imagine myself in there with them. I felt like an outsider. I would attend meetings, but never spoke at them. Then I started regularly going to events. There was one event in particular that really changed my perspective of Key Club: the Fall Festival at Murdoch’s Pub. It was around October of 2016, and one of the first events I went to. I was very hesitant to come, as I didn’t know who all was going. When I got to the event, there were only a handful of KC members there, and they weren’t even from our school! The turnout of the event wasn’t great, so we had a lot of time to talk and socialize. Although I didn’t know the other volunteers, they acted like we were all close friends; we all just connected so well. It wasn’t until later that I realized why. All of us were there to serve the community, and to help out in any way we could. Volunteering at that festival completely changed how I felt about KC. After I went to the Fall Festival, I started signing up for any event I could. I quickly learned that I loved the feeling of volunteering. Whether it was waking up at 5 AM to go to a race, or supervising a bouncy house, I lived for spending my weekends helping people who needed it. I also learned to love the members of Key Club. Going to all these events allowed me to form friendships and get to know the people in my club. As the school year began to wrap up, I knew that I wanted to apply to be an officer. I wanted to not only be in KC, but to actively participate and help out as much as possible. A few weeks after interviews, I found out I got Historian! I was elated, because I knew I was in an even better position to help people. I was also excited because I knew that I was now apart of an amazing team. My reasons for joining Key Club are drastically different from my reasons for staying in Key Club. This organization has taught me the importance of volunteering, and helping out the community. In time, anyone can learn the benefits of joining Key Club and make amazing friends. It takes one festival, or race, or even food drive to get to know the amazing feeling of giving back. |
Essay SubmissionsThis is a page dedicated to article submissions by the members of Cypress Ridge Key Club! Please send in your essay/picture submissions to [email protected], and title your email as [Name, Submission]. You will be contacted if your submission is uploaded onto the website. Archives
October 2021
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