Student Life

Clubs are part of what connects a school’s different groups together. As Ms. Konradi puts it, clubs are “Community making. This is the actual cheese and meat of a school’s community, the extra stuff.” To help foster connection and grow a community on campus, St. Andrew’s offers a colorful plethora of clubs to its students, giving each student the opportunity to create their own. Of course, each club must fulfill a service requirement but otherwise students enjoy a large degree of freedom in tailoring their club to fit whatever they desire out of it. Out of all the clubs offered this semester, a few stood out to me as particularly unexpected.

Life skills, run by Hannah Shearn (Senior), has been active for over three years. While wanting to know life skills is not unexpected, the fervor Shearn dedicates to this club and organizing unique activities for its members is. The club endeavors to prepare its members for the day-to-day realities of post-high school life, such as applying to jobs and being responsible for their own laundry. Hannah describes her club as “a modge-podge of everything that's kinda falling through the cracks in terms of what's available for clubs.” The care that Shearn puts into her club is admirable. Every meeting’s activity has been decided with exams and classes in mind. The club has created study schedules, learned how to plan a trip or pack a suitcase, and mixed bath salts for stress relief near midterms. Hannah has reached out to a hiring director and asked if she could be a guest speaker, to teach the club members what she looks for in resumes and what makes a resume good. Hannah admits that most of the club this semester is seniors, so most of the club has already written their resumes and knows how to meet deadlines. So the activities prioritized right now are focused on more practical or fun activities, such as changing tires or movie watch parties.

Philosophy club is new this year, run by Cooper Henry (Sophomore) and Andrew Blaha (Sophomore). I found the idea of a high school having a philosophy club that wasn’t being run entirely by a teacher unexpected, but exciting. Ms. Konradi, when asked why she became the club’s faculty sponsor, said I loved the idea. I took philosophy classes in college, and I try my best to weave philosophy into my classes…and so I felt really excited when they asked me." The Philosophy club has had many, many planning meetings and one group meeting this semester. Despite there only being one group club meeting, it was a lively event. Around 30 students attended and, after a short presentation on defining truth and logic, were asked to go to one of four corners. Each corner had been assigned a different philosophy related to the debate of fate vs free will. Then the two corners containing the highest number of students debated each other for a few minutes. When asked about the first group meeting, Ms. Konradi laughed and said “Their first meeting was hyper successful…It got really chaotic, really heated.” Currently, Blaha and Henry are making plans for next semester’s meetings and how they will make their club more accessible to anyone who feels hesitant to join.

As you walk out the cafeteria, on the side facing the chapel, you might notice small, reddish bulbs poking out of the soil within the shallow, wooden planters next to the walkway. Those little bulbs are the St. Andrew’s Farm’s bountiful harvest of radishes! While their carrots might have been stolen by an audacious squirrel, the radishes have remained. The Farm Club, run by Austin Toland (Junior) and Parker Greenburg (Junior), is still figuring out its goals for next semester and what the club itself will look like. Currently, club founders Toland and Greenburg have been teaching their club members how to properly and effectively weed, water, and otherwise care for plants. While any dramatic drops in temperature or frost over winter break might be frightening for the pumpkins and marigolds right next to the farm, Toland is confident that the radishes are hardy enough to make it. 

Most service clubs are either backed by a faculty member as a council or are a chapter of a service organization. In contrast, Paths of Purpose is a student-founded club and is separate from any other organization. While their park and trail cleanups are often done in cooperation with Austin Trail Foundation and Keep Austin Beautiful, club founders Evey Flynn (Junior) and Avery Anson (Junior) have made a group that regularly gets up early on Saturday and Sunday mornings to pick up trash. The week of Halloween, the group picked up a large amount of trash near Shoal Creek. The trash contained toothbrushes, scraps of plastic, shoes, paper and plastic bags. While this was due to the area being formerly populated by a homeless encampment, taking care of our environment is a shared responsibility. So please take the care to reduce usage of one-use goods, reuse goods when able, and recycle what you can. Flynn and Anson are encouraging our parks and waterways to flourish, picking up one piece of plastic at a time.

So if you are looking for something in the spring semester, go join Paths of Purpose in their next cleanup, get into a heated debate in the next Philosophy club meeting, learn something new in Life Skills, and get your hands dirty at St. Andrew’s Farm!

Do you play a sport? Or are you in a club? You may even have a job outside of school. Whatever you do, everyone has something that they do to occupy their time. And all these obligations may mean you’re forgetting your service hours. Nobody wants to receive an email their senior year reminding them that they still need 40 service hours to graduate. Many times people don’t understand why service matters or why we have to do service. According to Ms. Brooks, “We talk a lot about the SAS community, but we also talk a lot about like, the greater Austin community and one of the things service does for us is it allows for us to develop community.” Lots of people struggle to find service hours but they don’t realize that there are many easy ways to get them. Sophomore Marina Obregon said “There are so many opportunities to get service hours that are right under your nose that many students don’t know about.” I will give you a few different fun and easy ways to get your service hours.

Central Texas Food Bank

The Central Texas Food Bank is a great place to get service hours. They have numerous locations throughout Austin and are an easy place for over the weekend. Some volunteer options could be volunteering in the warehouse which is what the freshmen did last year during freshmen seminar. In addition, you could volunteer in the kitchen, a mobile food pantry, fresh harvest farm, or even have a role in home delivery support. In order to volunteer you must be able to answer some eligibility questions such as “Have you been sick in the last 24 hours?” and “Have you come in contact with anyone who has tested positive for Covid 19 or someone who has been in close quarters with someone with Covid 19 in the last 5 days?” according to the Central Texas Food Bank official website. These are simple questions in order to make sure that health and safety are the top priority. You also must make an account so that you can sign up for a volunteer spot. You can sign up for days up to 1 month in advance. This is age friendly for all highschoolers but kitchen and garden volunteer jobs are only permitted if you are 15 or above. This is a wonderful volunteer opportunity and especially helpful to those in need during the holiday season.

Pop Up Birthday

Pop Up Birthday is another awesome way to get service hours. Pop up birthday is an organization which makes sure that every foster child in their service area is recognized on their birthday. “The mission of Pop Up Birthday is to bring joy, hope, and normalcy to children in the foster care system by giving them a personalized birthday” according to the Pop Up Birthday official website. There are many ways to help at this organization. You could become a birthday buddy, which means that you would shop for a specific child to help make their birthday wishes come true. You can also volunteer at Pop Up Birthday. In order to do that you have to go to the website and sign up for volunteer training. Volunteering through this organization is not only a meaningful way to get additional service hours, but also a real way to connect with the Austin community.

Book Spring

Book Spring is an organization with a mission “To ignite a love of reading by engaging young children in under-resourced areas of Texas with no-cost, high interest books and literacy programming that supports family focused learning”according to the Book Spring official website. There are many different things you can do to help out at Book Spring. You can volunteer for group event support, group book sorting and labeling, delivery services, or donating to Book Spring originals if you have any artwork or stories you would like to submit. All you have to do is complete a new volunteer application and then sign up for volunteer opportunities by using the link on the website. Volunteering through Book Spring is a great way not only to get your service hours but to give back to the community and make a real impact.

St. Andrew’s Summer Camps

St. Andrews also hosts camps over the summer that you can volunteer at. These are a super fun way to get service hours. There are all kinds of activities, some of them from last year are: Flying into First, Bookies and Cookies, Rock Band, and the Girls Basketball Camp with Coach Benjamin. These are by the week camps so you only have to commit for the weeks you know you’ll be available whether that’s one week or four. The sign up sheet has not been released yet but when it is, be sure to check My SAS or ask Ms. Brooks where to find them. You can volunteer at the 31st street campus or the Southwest Parkway campus. This is a super meaningful way to give back to your school community. By volunteering to help out the teachers who offer to run these camps you are building more connections throughout the school community plus they are lots of fun.

If none of these things sounds fun to you there are so many other opportunities out there but I strongly urge you to give one of these a try. Start with your personal interests. “I think a lot of students really think about their personal interests and where they want to support,” said Ms. Brooks. From there find something that supports your interests so that you can enjoy your service and do something that really matters to you.

On the club fair day, September 10th dozens of clubs set out colorful and decorative tables around Founders Hall Gym. The environment overwhelms you with friendly faces and new opportunities. Students gather together, cramming around the tables trying to be the first to sign up for the club of their choice. 

Clubs are a way for students to branch out and find their own interests outside of their core classes. As a Freshman, it is a requirement to sign up for at least one club. The rest of the grades are not held to those same rules, however they are still very much encouraged to be a part of a club. 

Clubs range from the categories of business, leadership, journaling, and music to other unique hobbies. All in all there is a club meant for you. Some of the most impactful clubs St. Andrew’s offers are the Red Cross Club, Best Buddies Club, and the Empowering Women of the World club. These three clubs offer opportunities through activities, volunteering, and even hanging out with your friends at meetings all with the same end goal: to make a difference. 

Best Buddies

The Best Buddies club is currently led by Seniors Julia Millikin and Katherine Stone. This specific chapter of the club was started by Stone when she was in her Sophomore year in order to help serve kids with Intellectual and developmental disabilities, IDD. 

IDD includes individuals with Autism, Down Syndrome, Fragile X, Williams Syndrome, and any other disabilities. The national Best Buddies Committee explains that Best Buddies is the largest social, economic and physical grouping of the two hundred million individuals who forever live with any source of disability. The purpose of the Committee is to empower those who have any source of IDD. 

The Best Buddy Club strives to offer friendships and activities for people who may not be fortunate enough to make them naturally. Stone explains that in the St. Andrew's chapter, when being paired up with a “buddy,” it is not required to hangout with them outside of school activities, however it is still permitted. It is encouraged for members to text them, and when at a Club activity with them, be present and bond. Stone started this club because her brother has a form of IDD, autism, which is why she says her favorite part of the club is “getting to see her brother having fun without his parents.” Seeing her brother, interacting with others really means something to Stone. Millikin and Stone set up monthly meetings for their club members to attend. They conduct interactive activities, such as pumpkin painting, gingerbread building, and ornament decorating, there is even an Annual Best Buddy Walk. The Annual Best Buddy Walk includes schools from all over the Austin area coming together to do fun activities with individuals who have IDD. It is a great way to spread awareness, and foster friendships. Stone says that “While being in this club can seem intimidating, like you may not know what to say, just showing up can do so much more than you can imagine, because some of these kids have such a different high school experience from us.” 

Empowering Women of the World 

Empowering Women of the World, or better known as EWOW, is run by Seniors Madeline Cohen and Julia Millikin. There are many national women's clubs meant to inspire younger, middle aged, or even older women. According to a National Empowering Women of the World Committee, their goals are dedicated to helping enhance independence, success, and education for women across the world. They are not just focused on women in one country or area, they want to help all races and religions, in all countries. They believe that amplifying women's voices is so important, and so is speaking out for what you believe in. The National Committee also helps offer education to women in need, and empower futures, through confidence, and potential. 

This National Committee relates to our St. Andrew’s clubs in more ways than one. Millikin explained how her main goal for our EWOW club is “to spread it to all of the girls at SAS because it could benefit them all.” Millikin wants everyone to experience the potential this club offers. Millikin felt like she would be a suitable leader for this club, because she learned so much from all the women coming to speak in meetings. Cohen and Milliken attempt to bring in a woman to speak at least once a month. Milliken tries to find women with different jobs and backgrounds each time in order for some diversity. 

When Millikin was an underclassman she joined the club and attended as many of the meetings as she could in order to grow her interest. In her Junior year she started “catching up with the women who came to talk, and I learned so much. I was able to shadow some of them, or meet with them.” One of the women she shadowed is named Ashley Brueckner who is a managing director at private bank, J.P Morgan here in Austin . She explains how this process benefitted her to a great extent. She was able to make connections, and see if her interests could potentially lead her into the line of work these women were teaching.

Millikin says a piece of advice worth sharing is that, “Women want to support other women,” so reach out and if you are on the fence about joining the club, “just do it.” It will benefit you so much in the long run, and possibly even grow your confidence.

Red Cross Club 

Senior Vincent Vegas is the president of the Red Cross Club, and has been a member since he came to St. Andrews his Sophomore year. The St. Andrews club is a smaller chapter, working under a world wide Mission for the Red Cross. 

The Red Cross’s Mission is to prevent and help end suffering with all of their actions. Whether it’s through providing shelter, food, or comfort to those going through a certain type of disaster they are there to help. Red Cross Mission provides training for certain ways to save lives, like military training or CPR certification. The Mission also is big on creating connections and friendships.

At St. Andrew's, the club follows the same principles which includes helping others. This is achieved mainly through donations, and offering a safe space to make connections. Vegas explained how at first he “joined the club to fulfill the 40 hours, but everything just ended up being so fun.” The club made an impact on him and helped him grow such strong bonds between teachers and friends.

  One way the club offers a source of help is through the annual blood drive. Vegas says that “ All donations are crucial, but the blood drive is the most important.” He “went around campus campaigning to teachers, and students during his free period, and chapel,” trying to get people to give up some of their time to donate blood. The blood drive is normally held towards the middle of the second semester and the members of the club attempt to get as many people as they can to donate blood.

He explains that the blood donated goes to people in need such as those in hospitals, undergoing cancer treatment, or who have another serious injury. Vegas says one of his favorite parts of the club is “seeing the difference we could make in other people's lives.” Doing a seemingly simple task could save someone's life. 

When Vegas volunteered the night before Homecoming last year from 6:00-8:30 he was having second thoughts about going. However, when he got there he said “the vibes were really good. We were packaging cabbage into boxes and I really enjoyed getting to know the current club members better. It was a good bonding experience.” He identified it as his favorite memory from being a part of this club. The Red Cross Club has made such a positive impact on all the members and benefited them with many volunteering experiences. The friendships made outside of people's normal circles are so important and allow you to grow as an individual. Vegas says his advice for anyone who might possibly join next year, is to “first off, definitely do it, it’s a great way to help others, and you will feel so good about yourself after.”

Every spring, St. Andrew’s seniors make decisions regarding who they’ve become, and who they hope to be. This year’s class of 2026 is charting notably different paths: some are crossing borders, others are stepping into athletics, creative industries, or time away from school. Their choices don’t align with one single narrative; instead, they reveal a wide range of ambitions, values, and growth. 

Collegiate Athletics

Reed Robinson began dreaming of running in college as early as eight grade. While the recruiting process was not too overwhelming for him, it was intentional. Robinson reached out to a few coaches and visited several campuses, but it was an in-person visit to Pepperdine that solidified his vision. “When I went, I kind of fell in love with the campus,” he said. As he prepares to transition into collegiate athletics, Robinson is most excited about the challenge/ New competition, unfamiliar environment, and a new racing format. 

Throughout his journey, Robinson credits his parents and longtime coach Gilbert Tuhabonye as his biggest supporters. “Gilbert has become another family member for me,” he said. That relationship has played a key role in Robinson’s growth as both an athlete and as a person. Looking ahead, Robinson hopes his experience will encourage younger student-athletes at St. Andrew’s to find joy in their sport. “I hope what I do and have done can help people find passion,” he said. “Anyone can run!”

Studying Abroad

For Mila Shih, the idea of studying outside of the United States wasn’t even on her radar until a family conversation opened the door. “One of my cousins goes to McGill, and my parents reached out to him about the application process,” she recalled. “That’s when I first realized, wait I can go outside of the U.S.” Her past visits to Canada have helped her feel confident about the big move. Combined with high out-of-state tuition costs, studying abroad became both practical and exciting. “I’m looking forward to learning how a different place works socially and culturally, no matter which school I end up going to.” 

Though moving across a continent is intimidating, Shih is open to staying long term. “If I love it, I could see myself getting residency.” Being able to study in another country gives students the ability to expand their networks, experience the culture and languages, become more independent, and be a more involved, knowledgeable global citizen. Shih’s advice to younger students: “Don’t be scared by the application differences. Once you start, it gets easier. Go outside of your comfort zone.”

Gap Year

Instead of jumping straight into college, Carter Kutac is taking a gap year, which means that he will delay his admittance to college by a year to travel and grow as a filmmaker. “Traveling and experiencing the world feels like an investment in myself,” he said. A conversation with his grandfather sealed the decision. “He said yes immediately. It showed me that even someone who has lived a full life still might regret not seeing more of the world when they are young and still learning.”

Kutac will spend his year helping his family relocate to France, something he views as a meaningful responsibility. After helping his parents move, he will spend his year building a film portfolio and pushing himself out of his comfort zone. “There are practically infinite people to meet and places to go, which motivates me even more to go out and find those places and people. I hope to come back smarter and more aware of the world beyond my bubble.”

Unique Major

Allegra Pizzolato first considered art school as a sophomore. “I realized heavy academics weren't my path, and I wanted something more creative. Her top choices, UT Austin and Texas State, offer strong studio programs with plenty of room to explore double majors, like art and business. The portfolio process was demanding for her, requiring 10-15 pieces and extensive writing about each. “It has to be my strongest, most personal work,” she said. Much of Pizzolato’s art centers around the themes of healing. 

She’s excited to join a community of artists. “Being surrounded by creative people helps you grow.” Her advice to young artists: “Start thinking about your portfolio now and what you want to focus on. And make original work. It’s easy to copy from other artists, but you don’t really grow until you create your own work.”

If there’s one thing this group shares, it’s clarity about what they want their next few years to look like. Their choices reflect individual priorities rather than a single definition of success, offering the St. Andrew’s community a more honest picture of what after high school can be. Together, these students show the four pillars of St. Andrew’s perfectly—Scholar, Athlete, Artist, and Servant— each demonstrating that there are countless ways to move forward with purpose.