Extracurriculars
connecting with the school on multiple levels
My involvement with activities within Huron High School is part of the joy of being a River Rat. Huron offers a wide variety of clubs, athletics, and other forms of student engagement; I'm happy that I can work with students outside of the classroom. This allows me to get to know students outside of the academic setting, and introduces me to students I may not have had in class otherwise. I'm thankful for the groups with which I'm involved, and I hope to keep my involvement at Huron strong.
Soccer
I have been an assistant coach for women's soccer for three years now, and I have loved every moment of it. Coaching introduces me to girls at all grade levels, which allows me to build relationships with students across classes. Being a coach is a very specific, challenging leadership role. I'm responsible for developing athletic skill and moral responsibility. Being part of a team requires communication, maturity, and respect for others. I help my team develop these factors by modeling the behaviors I expect. In the classroom, my coaching experience helps me in many different ways, especially communication. I have learned effective strategies for how to communicate one on one with athletes that translates beautifully into the classroom. I ask questions that allow students to take time to reflect and explain. These discussions help to get to the root of a lot of issues, and allow me to learn more about my students.
Poetry club
Poetry club is the first activity I became involved in at Huron. Once a week, students meet in my classroom to share poems they have written and to give helpful feedback to their peers. As a leader, I help remind students that all creative work is valued, and to never feel insecure about something they have written. Additionally, it is my job to create a safe space for the students involved. Often, poetry is very intimate and personal; having a space to share work and talk about their writing helps students build relationships with each other and gain confidence in their work. In the classroom, I apply these same techniques to teaching. I remind my students that all work, values, and ideas are valuable. I do my best to lead my students as they develop their ideas and create work they are proud of. Additionally, I lead my students through ways to provide feedback to others that is respectful and helpful. Poetry club allows me to connect with students on a creative level, which is helpful for all involved.
class of 2021 executive board
I am the advisor for the class of 2021, and oversee meetings and activities of the executive board. The exec board is the student representative body for their graduating class. In our meetings, students discuss ways to get involved with and improve things at the school, and work on ways to get involved with the community. Leading the exec board translates well into the classroom, as I encourage my students to come to meetings and to participate in activities. Whatever the exec board does, I do; because I teach primarily freshmen, this is a perfect role for me. In class, I offer my students opportunities that the exec board creates (i.e. collecting handprints for the class flag, gathering signatures for a booklet going into a time capsule, etc.). Activities like these help all freshmen, not just those on the exec board, feel connected to their class, and to the school as a whole.
Model united nations
As the advisor for Model United Nations, I'm responsible for organizing opportunities for the club to attend MUN sessions and acting as the liaison between the club and the school administration. While this group is primarily student led, my leadership takes a different form. Whenever the kids need something, be it room reservation for meetings or outreach to the community for fundraisers, I am the point person. The students put their trust in me to take care of tasks as timely and efficiently as possible; as such, I am able to lead my group to successful outcomes. Most recently, I lead the students on a trip to Boston for Harvard Model United Nations Conference - a conference that drew students from all over the world. I was responsible for arranging transportation, plane tickets, securing the hotel, and keeping the kids safe. It was a wonderful experience for all of us, and I'm grateful that we were able to participate. In the classroom, MUN has influenced the way help students work toward an end goal. The trip to Harvard required a lot of attention to timelines or we wouldn't get to participate. After holding my MUN kids responsible to timelines, I am much more aware of helping my students with due dates for projects and helping them prioritize their work toward completion.