Apopka is the home of many different and unique clubs. This may cause a problem for people who don’t know what type of club they’re looking for, because there are so many choices! The Blue and White have asked some people in clubs to describe the clubs they’re in and what made them want to join.

The first student we asked is Senior Erika Nunez. She said that she recommends the club Workshop Legacy. When asked about the club, she stated that “I really enjoy doing the fun activities we do and learning random topics like how to sew a button and how to change a tire.” Another question we asked was if this club was special to her, and what made her want to join. The club is special to her because she is “the founder and creator of the club. I made everyone join this club and continue to coerce them to come to every meeting.”

Another club that Erika recommends is “Mu Alpha Theta because I really enjoy math and helping others.” She says that this club helps her with “both of these passions with the math tutoring we do every Wednesday.” When asked about how the club is special to her and what made her want to join, she told us that “I was introduced to this club by my siblings and joined a couple of years ago. Last year, I was the Treasurer and now I am the President. This club is very special to me because it feeds my love for math and helped me earn the majority of my community service hours with the math tutoring after school (approximately 80 hours).”

The next student we talked to is Senior Anna La May. When asked about what club she’s recommending she states “I may be slightly biased since I founded the club, but I recommend the Women’s Empowerment Club, and I also recommend honor societies, especially science.” We then asked Anna why she was recommending these clubs, and she explained: “I recommend the Women’s Empowerment Club. We work for a great initiative – providing female sanitary products, advocating for women’s rights, and encouraging those around us. It also is a great way to boost your college resume as social justice tends to be fondly looked upon. I’m not one hundred percent sure as to what the club will look like next year, as I won’t be here to guide it, however, I do hope it doesn’t fall apart and the underclassmen who have been a part of it continue to let it thrive. I also recommend honor societies, especially science. Not only is it academic and a good mark on your resume, we also have the best club activities out of all the honors societies (at least I believe so). This year we did science experiments, went to Busch Gardens for Physics Day, and are planning to attend UCF Stem Day at the end of March. Finally, I would just say do what you find interesting, don’t obsess over what looks good for college or getting a chord, but rather do something that may benefit you later but makes you genuinely excited to participate.” While talking with Anna we discussed if these clubs are special to her and what made her want to join them. She told us, “Every club I’m a part of, especially Women’s Empowerment and Drama, have such great groups of people where we greatly encourage each other and create an overall supportive environment where you don’t have to be afraid to let loose a little or share your opinions. For the Women’s club, I created it after realizing it didn’t already exist and coming up with many ideas that I knew would benefit the school and community if it did. Science I joined simply due to my love for science and theater was a similar situation. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend joining something just because someone else suggests you should, you need to have your own individuality, however, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t not join anything at all. Rather try your hand at different clubs, see what sticks, and create your own story.” 

Now we move on to Sophomore Kaetlyn Singh. Kaetlyn is recommending “the ASIA club, which stands for Asian Students in Apopka. We work around our members to enhance their knowledge about not only their own heritage but others too! We encourage those of AAPI backgrounds to join the fun!” Kaetlyn told us that she recommends this club because “it is a safe space for those of Asian background(s) and heritage. With that in mind, our goal as ASIA is to enlighten our community about our heritage, expand their knowledge beyond what they can imagine, and most importantly, create a safe and open space for those of Asian background(s)! We encourage YOU to join and become a part of the greater good for the Asian community.” Our last question was what makes the club special to her and why would she recommend it to others. She responded, “This club has made a significant impact on my life, as it helped me find a space of safety and security within the Asian community. It not only helped me through high school, but it also helped me make great connections beyond what I could have imagined. We work together, monthly, to enlighten each other on different Asian countries and ethnicities. The monthly meetings definitely bring us closer together as a community. Since we are a brand new club, I joined on my own accord. One of my classmates, Colin Poon, actually founded and created the club, with his own will and courage, introducing to me the idea of it. I thought it was a great idea since it is something that our school has never had before. So, with that being said, I highly recommend that people, especially of Asian descent, join this club!”

Sophomore Jessica Zeno also has strong opinions on clubs at AHS. Jessica said that she “recommends FFA, Beta, and SNHS.” She also stated the reasons why she recommends these clubs, those reasons being “I would recommend these clubs because BETA and SNHS help to build up your resume, especially for college. FFA is an agricultural-based club that helps if you want to go into the agriculture industry.” Jessica explains that the club is special to her because she has been “in FFA since I was in 6th grade and it’s such a special community in my opinion. SNHS and BETA are academic based so they will be useful. I joined FFA on my own because I originally wanted to go into the agriculture industry before I found my love for engineering. SNHS and BETA I would recommend to anyone to improve your chances of getting into colleges.”

The last student we talked to was Sophomore Temesgene Berhane. Temesgene told us that he was recommending Debate Club. When asked about why he would recommend Debate, he went on to tell us the reason is “because it helped me speak and write better and allow me to have more confidence overall.” When talking about if this club was special to him and if he joined on his own, he responded with, “This club is special because of how it helped boost my confidence, it made me feel good about myself. I joined on my own accord.”

In conclusion, Apopka High School is the home of many different and unique clubs. If you’re looking for a club I’m sure there’s one out there for you, maybe even some of the ones listed above.