Extracurriculars are the second gateway to the future

By Bogdana Bujag

Motivating students to participate in extracurricular activities is definitely not an easy task. Some might think that it’s a waste of time, it’s not worth it or that it’s boring, however that is not true. If you’re one of those people, you might want to reconsider your opinion because in this article I will be telling you all about how getting involved got me to Geneva for 5 days.

As students at Heritage, we get so many opportunities regarding extracurricular activities, both nationally and internationally: from projects to competitions to volunteering occasions and others. And if the opportunity is given to you, why not take it and give that project/competition a try, right? You truly have nothing to lose, on the contrary: you gain new experiences (mostly good, but even if they are bad, you’ll always learn something from them), you often get to meet new people and make new friends and you also get to explore your abilities as well as your personality. And the best part of it - it all pays off in the end!

That last part, I can guarantee you because I have recently felt that on my own skin, and it felt absolutely fantastic! Starting from the beginning, I have been getting involved since I joined Heritage, so for about 5 years now. During this period I discovered and took part in eTwinning programs, got active in the Student Council, participated in climate and sustainability, joined Global School Alliance, and tried my best in all sorts of competitions: World Scholar’s Cup, Writing, Debating … you name it. I did almost everything that can be possibly done in our school and it may sound like a burden, but it really is not. And then came February 2023 when the world stopped for a second, when my heart skipped a beat, when I was offered to attend an International Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, more specifically, the International Cooperation Forum. It’s moments like these which bring true inner satisfaction and happiness with yourself: when you see that your input is being noticed, appreciated and even rewarded. The whole experience has left me speechless to this day. It is hard for me to believe that it wasn’t just some far away dream, it was a real event which happened, where I interacted with people from all over the world, where I learned so much from others and where I had my voice heard. If I were to describe my experience at this event in 3 words, they would be inspiration, hope and astonishment. If you want to find out more about the Forum and the trip itself to Geneva, do not hesitate to check out Sabina Țurcan's article: Switzerland - A Getaway One Could Never Forget.

To sum it up, I would like to highly encourage you to get involved and benefit from as many opportunities given as you can. By being an active student, you are preparing yourself for becoming an active citizen in a few years from now, which is exactly what the world needs. School is indeed important and you shouldn’t neglect it, but life outside of it is equally, if not more important than it. Lots of people say that school is the gateway towards the future. If so, I’m here to tell you that extracurriculars are the second gateway to it!