Finding the right activities to get involved with in high school can be difficult. However, once it is discovered, it can make all the differences in your life.

¨Right now we’re kicking off the toy drive to benefit Lydia´s House which is a home for battered women and their children,¨ said English teacher Nicole Martineau, who has been in charge of National Honor Society for three years. ¨Membership in National Honor Society is based on leadership, character, service, and scholarship,¨ said Martineau.

About 20 students are involved in National Honor Society and it offer students opportunities to give back to the community.

¨Mainly we’ve been making posters to help gather up toys to donate to Lydia´s House,¨ said junior Erica Brown. ¨I really enjoy National Honor Society because I love being able to help out the community in a positive way and staying busy.¨

Another program at U. City that has benefit student is College Bound which focus on low income families.

¨College Bound is a college preparedness program which helps students from low income families apply for college,” Alicia Trotter, senior, said. ¨College Bound has changed me by helping me stay focused and realize what I want in myself for my future.¨

After the events in Ferguson last year many students were focused on improving race relations in St. Louis so they joined the Race Summit and are working on a community-wide change agent project.

¨We bring schools together in the St. Louis area and discuss how to solve the problems of racism,¨ Whitney Huling, sophomore, said. ¨This program has made me notice the separation with schools in race.¨

When applying for colleges and jobs, being involved in school programs helps build college applications and resumes.

¨Joining these school programs students will help to build leadership skills that jobs or colleges may require,¨ Mrs. Pritchard, A+ and UServe coordinator, said. ¨You have to be organized and take leadership roles that will build great responsibility and also be able to represent yourself in a positive way.¨

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