By Skyler ‘24
I remember stepping on campus as a seventh grader with no prior knowledge of any club on campus. With the overwhelming amount of new information being thrown at me, getting involved with school activities was one of the last things on my mind. But, I realized that one of the reasons I was so drawn to Harvard-Westlake as an applicant was the fact that HW had so many options and opportunities and it would be foolish of me not to take advantage of those resources.
I spoke to Mr. Jordan, the Middle School Director of Student Affairs, who gave me more information on clubs that I was interested in. He told me that I didn’t have to make a final decision then and that just because I opened the door to one meeting didn’t mean I had to make a year-long commitment. He said I should go to a few meetings of different clubs and see what stuck. I developed a philosophy of trying as many new things as I could so that I knew I had explored all my options. As much as I loved all the existing clubs, I realized that there was something else I had in mind.
In 2018, I launched my own nonprofit organization called Future Generations Now. I saw an opportunity to involve my peers in something I hoped would make a difference. That is part of the beauty of HW—if what you want to do doesn’t already exist, there is usually a way to create it. It has now been two years since I started Future Generations Now and it has become a community of like-minded people that want to give back. We raise both awareness and funds for important issues. We work both locally and globally. We have worked to help hungry kids in Los Angeles, advocated for free surgeries for children with facial deformities in both the Philippines and Peru, and hosted clothing drives for orphans in Tijuana, Mexico. We are fortunate enough that most of us have never had to worry about a roof over our heads or food in the fridge but going to Harvard-Westlake and being involved in this club has helped me realize that not everyone else is as lucky. In other words, it isn’t just about us and whether we are okay but doing everything in our power to help those that are not. After all, part of our mission statement is “purpose beyond ourselves” and clubs are an opportunity to live that part of the mission. This club gave students the opportunity to step out of their own bubbles and realize there are so many things in the world that need fixing and our generation is the one that will initiate that change.
This is just one example of the many clubs at HW. Clubs range from more serious things like discussing politics to lighter things like watching a TV show. But regardless of what it’s about, clubs allow you build a community of your own that you will forever be part of. So, I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. You can never be sure that you won’t love it and if there isn’t something for you, start something of your own. I was skeptical about it at first and now I can’t imagine what it would be like if I hadn’t.
