Noelle LaFleur: Getting involved: How much is too much?
I remember going to the club fair week 1 of my freshman fall quarter. I probably put my name and email down for 10 clubs, and I just could not wait to get involved. I ended up becoming a member of the Belles Women’s Service Organization and a member of CHAARG, a women's health, wellness, and female empowerment club. During winter quarter, I took on the role of being a Leavey School of Business Ambassador, assisting prospective students in making the choice to attend SCU LSB through open house and panel events, virtual Q&A’s, and 1:1 meetings. I also stepped into the role of the President of CHAARG, and into a leadership role in my sorority. While I would say I have *extensive* student organization experience, I ask you to learn from my experiences.
My biggest advice to both incoming and current students is to get involved. There is quite literally a club for anything - and if there isn’t, create your own! Being a part of clubs is more than a meeting every week, it’s enriching...a way to find your passions and pursue them. For example, I am truly passionate about health and wellness for college students, and bringing people together through that. CHAARG has been an incredible experience for me to meet other like minded people and connect over wellness and personal growth, something that we are all interested in. The Belles Service Organization was also something that was at the forefront of my interests, giving back to this new community I am a part of. In addition to this, the Leavey Ambassador program has been a highlight of my experience here at SCU because I get to share with prospective students how you can make the choice to attend a school that fits you and finally having a leadership role in my sorority has been important to me to make a difference in the greek system off campus.
Getting involved in all of these different organizations was gratifying and exciting, but it turns out that I piled just a little too much on my plate: I wasn’t able to fully focus on all of them and give them the attention needed. My second piece of advice to you is to find what lights you on fire and pursue it. It can feel easy to sign up for lots of clubs and try to be super involved, but what is most impactful is if you can truly make a difference and create change. So - choose one or two things and run with them - join the club, apply for a leadership position, and have FUN! This will also allow you to keep your priorities in line with academics, having time for yourself, and pursuing what you love! Clubs and on campus involvement are more than a resume boost; they are there to help you learn and grow as a student, a colleague, and a person in this world!