Written by Rox R. - 10th Grade student at INTL
My five years at Silicon Valley International School have brought me so much, from a bilingual (French & English) education, to many clubs that have expanded my skills and knowledge in so many ways. From my very first days in 6th Grade, I have been involved in a multitude of clubs and activities such as Student Council (StuCo), Dance Club (which I now run), House Leadership, and Model United Nations (MUN). To this day, I remain a member of all the clubs and activities, and they truly have shaped me to be the person I am.
For example, I have been a member of StuCo since my first year at INTL and have continued to partake ever since. Honestly, I joined because I knew it would look good on my applications, but what I didn’t know were the skills it would teach me. It taught me to communicate my ideas clearly and relay information from the student body. I was given the resources to grow as a leader and expand as an IB learner.
I was also a member of the Dance Club during middle school, which led me to start my own dance club in freshman year! I choreographed dances for people of all levels and ages. I was even able to spark an interest in real dance lessons for a few of my members! I was so happy to see the impact a little idea had on these students and I hope to continue this as long as I can. This ties into my role in house leadership, where it is my job to not only organize events, but also to be a role model for the younger students.
MUN is a club where we go to mock United Nations conferences and represent a country while talking about real world issues with other students. This year I was able to attend the Stanford University conference as a representative of Norway in the International Bioethics Committee. It was an amazing experience where I met so many amazing people from across the country and learned so much.
The diplomatic experiences in MUN also helped as I took part in the Flags Committee at INTL. The committee of students was created to discuss representation and inclusion at school, mainly concerning the flags that flew in the front of campus. The question was raised “are we really preaching true inclusivity?” with selecting specific flags to display. With that, we decided to conduct a survey and hear from the community. We had a lot of different responses, but it was not really about the responses themselves, but more about what we do with them and how do we include their ideas. In the end, the committee created recommendations for the administration on how we felt to best create representation and inclusion on campus. While our task completed this fall the conversation will continue to go on at INTL as we talk about the needs of the community every year.
All my experiences mean so much to me, because not only do they help me develop so many skills, they also give me the reassurance that I am in a community that will support me through all my endeavors. All things considered, this many clubs may seem like a lot of work, and they are! Just because it takes hard work and dedication, does not mean I don’t benefit from them. Of course it would be nice to have more free time, but I gain so much more from these and continue to grow as an individual.
My high school experience has had its ups and downs, as do most things in life. INTL has helped me remain conscious of the fact that if I can no longer handle all these other activities I have the choice to stop, because academic success and mental wellbeing are what remains their top priorities for me.
I am so thankful for the experience I have had at INTL as I have been supported throughout my education and other endeavors. I developed skills that I could not have found otherwise, while still being able to continue a bilingual education. I can’t wait to see what the rest of my years at INTL have in store for me!
