Christine, a fellow senior at Central, has made a name for herself as someone with drive and dedication, the kind of qualities that have manifested in the establishment of her very own club, "The Almost Adult Cohort: College and Career Prep for Students, by Students."
Having known Christine for quite some time, to say that she is admirable is a vast understatement. Committed to her community, she has been an active member in several clubs (e.g., Key Club) and aims to continue helping others during her transition to adulthood. Intending to start her own 501(c)(3) non-profit, the betterment of those around her is integral to her passions, and I had the pleasure of interviewing Christine as the Feminist Club's first Feature Femme.
The Cohort, what was your main inspiration when you wanted to establish it?
"I was involved in various local programs that each promoted either college or career prep, and I just found that they were really focused on investing in their community. That really inspired me because it's very rare to see organizations like that, especially with the school itself. I got to see that everything is very divided, but when you branch out and go beyond the doors of Central, you see the city trying to take the initiative to connect everyone. I can have more hope in the people around us and the staff and students at school."
You want to start your own non-profit in the future. What drew you to such an ambitious goal?
"I feel like being in these programs really just made me more interested in that idea of leading something focused on teaching people a specific thing. As a teenager who's about to graduate, there are a bunch of things about adulting that I'm not really aware of, and sometimes when I attend these workshops or programs, they teach me these things. They're so hidden, which I feel like they shouldn't be, so starting a nonprofit in the future would be me trying to help other people who are in the same situation that I am."
because your ambition stems from your experiences, what specific goals did you have in mind when you were planning for this club, and do you think that you're working towards them?
"The main goal was basically to reach a lot of people. I started using Instagram to try and promote what I was doing, but I knew that some people weren't using it, so I tried to invest a lot of time in putting up those posters, which the admin started taking down..! But I needed to keep trying because this is not something that I should let set me back, I should try to combat it."
they can be strict! it's hard to navigate, for sure.
"Youre just trying to do this and that, but I feel like admin especially, not so much teachers — they tend to make it more difficult. So honestly, it made me want to invest more time into this and make it successful. It's helping not only me connect with other people in the school, but it's also helping people connect with valuable resources that are hidden for no reason."
so besides the general obstacles you faced from administrators, what else proved to be a challenge that maybe you didn't expect?
"The experience of previous officer positions definitely prepared me to learn about different personalities and how to go around various challenges like communication. Working with people can be difficult, but instead of being like, 'Oh, I give up! I can't work with you!' We can find ways different ways to combat that or talk it out. 'If this way doesn't work, we can find other ways.' I try to work on my communication skills and time management. Organizing things, trying not to be last minute, and thinking of Plan B's if something doesn't work."
how do you balance school, dual enrollment, maybe even a job, with the responsibility of running your own club?
"With that, I just have to thank those scheduling apps. I use Notion — that is my best friend! I put everything on there, I have to prioritize things. Sometimes I want to do ten things at once, but I know I need to do the high-priority things first. For me, it's kind of a challenge because obviously, I want to do fun things like designing something on Canva, but 'No! I have homework due tomorrow! I have to do that first.' So definitely prioritizing things, and also not overbooking my schedule. I may want to do a bunch of things, but realistically I can't fit all of it into my schedule if I'm already struggling to balance everything else. There are a lot of other clubs I wanna be in too, but I can't be an irresponsible member and only show up half the time."
now, being an officer for the cohort myself, I'm really curious to hear this: what are your plans for the club? Do you have anything specific you see when you envision its growth over the semester?
"I'd like to have at least one more guest speaker. I'm not sure about everyone else, but from my experience, I really like reaching out and seeing others' perspectives, especially on things like college and career prep because I want to hear it from a person, not just a PowerPoint. I'd also like to foster more collaborative games, I feel like if people aren't heard, especially in a setting where we're trying to encourage that, that's something we need to incorporate. Right now, I want to take into account the big events, like Safe Trick-Or-Treat, that a lot of ppl are investing their time in, I don't want the club to be an obstacle to that. Or International Night, that's a big thing too! Just thinking of things logistically. When I think of after-school clubs, I think of a place for people to have fun, so I try not to make the club a classroom-like environment. People are spending their time here! They should look forward to it!"
Before I let you go, what advice would you give yourself before the club went into effect?
"I would say that despite the challenges, if you keep trying, in the end, you'll see desirable results. Don't set the expectations so high to the point where you'll inevitably be disappointed. There should be a standard, obviously, but you should be realistic. Hold yourself to high expectations, but not unreasonable expectations."
I want to thank Christine for allowing me to interview her and for continuing to be such an admirable student. If you are interested in the work of The Almost Adult Cohort, be sure to follow the club Instagram @cghsalmostadult and join the club Remind @aacohort
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