The Value of Club Participation

       Photo Courtesy of Tennessee 4-H by Liz Moughan Photography

  
While I was growing up, club activities were a part of my daily life. As a homeschooler, no one could dare call me unsocialized. If we were meeting someone for the first time and the "How do you socialize?" question came up, I just promptly rattled off the weekly calendar of events. It started with "Girl's Room" in kindergarten, a club that focused on instilling homemaking interests in young girls. Then  we dabbled in Girl Scouts for a few years, but the lack of true hands-on learning made it a bit dull. After discovering 4-H clubs in 4th grade, there was no looking back. We dove in headfirst and learned so much from all twenty-six project areas of study. I found I thrived in the competitive environment it offered and picked up leadership, communication, and citizenship skills that I can use in any stage of my life. Now, I'm a 4-H alumna attending a university to further my life goals. Regardless, my 4-H club days were just the beginning. 
      
    Today, Tennessee Tech Collegiate 4-H had our first meeting as a reactivated group where I was elected president. I am so excited to be able to further my 4-H legacy. This is only one club I have become a member of during my time at Tennessee Tech. I have also been a part of the Agritourism Association; Ag Business Club; the honor society Lambda Alpha Delta; and Delta Tau Alpha, an agricultural honor society. I would like to share some advantages of being a part of a student organization so you may be inspired to broaden your horizons during your college years.

        Benefits of Joining a Club:

• Friends- This is by far the biggest benefit to club fellowship! Clubs are comprised of students that hold similar interests and goals as you, so take the opportunity to make new friends! I became close to several upperclassmen that I didn't see in my lower division classes because I participated in club activities as a freshman. They provided me with so much advice that I was able to use to navigate my way through my new college experience!

• Resume Builder-  At this stage of life we are always having to listen to adults tell us that the number one thing to land a good job or grad school is to be committed to an organization. You know what? They're right! A potential employer is going to look not only at your GPA, but your level of involvement in social and academic groups. An awesome combo is that of a great GPA and strong club participation as this demonstrates you are well balanced in how you handle responsibilities.

• Scholarships- Did you know club activities can score you some cash for school? For the same reasons that an employer may value you, you can quickly catch the eye of scholarship committees if you are an active club member. Some alumni may even donate a scholarship to a member of a specific club. Look into the opportunities set before you! 

• Leadership- Many clubs are organized with an officer team overseeing the goals of the organization.  Serving in a leadership role in a fun, social capacity that you are passionate about (your club!) is a great way to develop these skills. You will learn responsibility, time-management, communication, teamwork, and so much more!

• Faculty Relationships- In a university setting, almost every club has a faculty advisor. I have had so much fun forging relationships with these educators by planning club hosted events and letting them guide us with the experience they have in their field! These outstanding teachers have earned my respect by investing themselves 100% into helping us accomplish our goals!

• Service- Being involved in university activities has given me so many opportunities to help make the world a better place! As humans, most of us desire to help others, but we tend to get caught up in our routines and our good intentions manage to slip on by forgotten. Accountability is found in many clubs so that we can stay motivated to serve others. When members work as a team to plan service-learning experiences, fresh ideas are more readily available and the work is divided so a greater impact results.

   I'm so thankful for all of the joy and learning experiences I have gained through club participation! This list is by no means complete, rather, it is a broad overview of a fraction of the benefits I have received over the years! If you are new to a university, start slow! Pick one or two clubs that most interest you and add to them as you have time and opportunity! I wish you lots of fun in your college career!