Picture a high school student, uncertain about the future with no clear aspirations, whose days revolve around school. Then, one day, they discover a hidden talent for debate and join the school’s debate team. Little did they realize that joining the team would chart a new course for their future career and transform their lives.
Extracurricular activities help students develop knowledge and abilities to become competent persons with high moral standards, responsibility, discipline, and social skills. They reduce peer pressure, enrich students’ lives, and influence how a person develops within themselves, in the school, and in the community. It allows exploring a range of interests and unlock passions you never knew you had.
Participating in extracurricular activities not only enhances students’ knowledge and skills but also fosters the development of well-rounded individuals with strong moral values, responsibility, discipline, and improved social skills. These activities shield against peer pressure, enriching students’ lives and shaping their personal growth within themselves, in the school environment, and within the broader community. Moreover, they provide a platform to explore a wide array of interests and uncover hidden passions that students may not have known existed.
“I think that the best years of my life are thanks to being part of the soccer team at the school. Not only did I meet my best friends, but it gave me a chance to travel around Colombia, exercise myself, and even consider the opportunity to be part of a team in a University in the US,” Senior, Maria Echeverri said.
For many students who consider themselves introverts, making friends can be challenging, but extracurricular activities, make this process much easier. Any type of thing besides school engages and provides students with opportunities to expand their social network, which could come in handy when looking for a job.
“When I was little I always felt that I was too shy to talk to other people, so for me making friends was not an easy thing. But I started playing golf and not only did it give me my best friends of all time, but it gave me a passion for the rest of my life” 10th Grade Student Miguel Gonzalez said.
While many students might think that school grades and achieving top scores on standardized tests like the SAT or ACT are the most crucial aspects of college applications, it’s important to recognize that colleges now place significant emphasis on the inclusion of practical, real-life examples that showcase a student’s skills, abilities, and leadership.
“Even though most might think that the most important thing about a person is their intellectualism, in my opinion, it is that person’s values, social skills, and problem-solving. Extracurricular activities help develop these factors, and they are what universities are looking for besides intelligence and good grades,” College Counselor, Juan Pardo said.
Extracurriculars are the foundation on which successful careers and fulfilling lives are built. Today employers seek for more than just academic credentials, more importantly, they look for individuals with leadership, teamwork, and a passion to learn something new – qualities that come from extracurricular pursuits.
“One thing I wish I had done when I was younger was to engage in extracurricular activities. Going straight from school to my house left me with a lot of free time, and I believe I could have used that time to acquire valuable skills and knowledge that would have benefited me in the future. This is why, from a young age, I have encouraged all three of my kids to participate in various extracurricular activities outside of school,” Mother of TCS, Carolina Zapata said.
