Resumé or rejection?

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Charlie Stoter, Feature Editor

The clock strikes 3:40 p.m., and RJ Reynolds High School seniors frantically race to remove their phones from their bags, searching for the email that will make or break their future. The blue dot of an unread email quickly fades away, nerves hit an all-time high, and the next step of their lives is just seconds away. Rejected or accepted?

    Nowadays, having a good GPA or a high-class rank does not get you very far. What sets you apart from the other 4.0 GPAs is your impact and contribution to your community. 

    “It’s one thing to be really bright, and it’s a great thing to be really bright and to apply that to your schoolwork, but being involved in leadership opportunities, leading things, and being involved in your community, shows that you are well rounded,” Advisor of National Honors Society Angie Bowman said. 

    Our school offers numerous extracurricular activities from service clubs to acappella, to ROTC, to sports. RJR students have nearly endless options when choosing which extracurricular activity suits their personality. 

    “There’s always ways to get involved based on what your niche is, even though I was someone who was introverted, I knew that I was very active in the band program,” Assistant Principal Anthony Grier said. “That is where I was able to find my niche and find my voice.”

    Joining extracurriculars allows high schoolers to make an impact, find their passions, meet new people, or contribute to their community. Discovering a group of people, you enjoy being around not only assists future applications but also forms bonds with other high schoolers with similar interests. 

    “When students join our organizations on campus, there’s a sense of comradery and that sense of belonging,” Grier said. “Our goal is to make Reynolds the place where everyone wants to be. Everyone has an opportunity to join something here at Reynolds high school.”

    Community service should not be a token into college or higher education. As we contribute to our society, we should do so positively by helping those in need. 

    “I feel that everyone has a responsibility because there are people living in our society that are homeless or don’t get food,” National Honors Society Club Member Caroline Thorton said.  

     Extracurriculars are a great way to set yourself apart from the other straight A, 4.0 GPA students. However, just using them for their name could hurt you in the future when interviewing for a job, college, or scholarship. 

    “It’s frustrating when people are dying to get into NHS so they can have it on their transcript, but when it’s time to run a committee, show up, help teachers setting their room up, or help with service projects, they don’t show,” Bowman said. 

    Actively participating in extracurricular activities lets authority figures see a glimpse of who you are, allows students to accomplish their goals, and supports our community. 

    “When people show up and get involved, things happen,” Bowman said.