The Key to Community

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Key Club is an international volunteer organization that has been unlocking new and creative ways to help our community and many others around the world. Volunteering at elementary schools to nursing homes and raising funds as well as spirits are just some of the things that these students take on to keep this community thriving.

“We love helping people,” president Hannah Corwell said. “I think these types of jobs are super important, and when you see their smile and you hear that thank you, you feel the impact.”

This team of students have discovered what making an impact really means, even from the very beginning of their journey.

“I really liked helping others since elementary when whenever my knowledge started to develop I realized what I was doing was volunteering,” senior Angela Jhon said. “At the freshmen orientation I saw a Key Club booth and I got more info about it and my first experience there was eye opening.”

Jhon expressed how Key Club made her realize that help was needed and wanted by the community and how that gave her a sense of purpose and pride.

“The [adults] don’t see me as a kid but as someone helping them out, and that made me want to start volunteering way more,” Jhon said. “I am more outgoing and lively and this club shaped me into this person that helped me cross that barrier.”

Some members of this club  find that they are attracted to the benefits that this club offers like graduation cords and volunteer hours that can contribute to their college acceptance. More recently this community of students have based their work around the atmosphere and accomplishments.

“I signed up for literally everything my sophomore year, and later on that year I was awarded most hours and elected historian my junior year which put me in charge of our website,” vice president Jackie Goshorn said. “We then went on to win most distinguished website and I was later elected vice president.”

Junior Year officers also lead us in ranking the #7 school in the annual DCON Competition for Key Club Volunteer members in the Texas-Oklahoma district where they also took the awards for the Most Distinguished Website and [Corwell] for Most Outstanding Vice President.

This past year the club has hosted many more events, even through the challenges of the Pandemic. Most of their outreach was virtual and through donations to avoid large gatherings.

“People need help, but they are afraid to ask for it,” Goshorn said. “We are trying our best to cater to both online and in-person events.”

Even with these boundaries, Key Club heavily encourages that new members join in efforts to share these experiences.

“This club has been my saving grace these last four years,” Jackie said. “If you want to join, pursue it fearlessly because you have nothing to lose, but so much to gain.”