The beep of an alarm. The stress of assignments. The constant movement. The pressure to make it to meetings. This is a typical day for senior Isra Badar.
Badar has been surrounded by people who are involved for as long as she can remember. “My parents were always involved [in the community] when I was a kid and I think that really rubbed off on me and my sister,” she said. “I started volunteering at the food pantry with my parents at a pretty young age and it was a super gratifying experience. I remember thinking that it was something I wanted to do forever.”
Badar’s involvement ramped up as she got older. “There are a lot more ways to be involved when you reach high school,” she said. Badar has joined eight clubs and one sport since her freshman year and is co-president of two of them. “I went a bit overboard my freshman year with joining stuff, but now that I know how to juggle it all, I really enjoy it,” she said, “especially the ones that I am co-president of.”
A natural born leader, Badar has been climbing the ranks for years. “I ran for secretary of Key Club at the end of my sophomore year and thought it was pretty cool when I was elected,” she said. “It made sense to run for co-president at the end of junior year and I have had that position since,” she explained. “For MSA, I came to be co-president just because I am a senior, but that has also been a cool experience.”
Badar’s involvement isn’t just for fun; some of them will prepare her for the rest of her life. “HOSA is definitely the biggest one pertaining to my career,” she said. HOSA, also known as Health Occupations Students of America, is a club that prepares students to become leaders in the medical field. “I want to be a physician or dentist and HOSA has given me the opportunity to learn a lot more about what it’s like to actually be one of those and has made me more interested in it,” said Badar.
With juggling between various clubs and organizations, Badar explained that it can be a lot to handle at times. “During cross country season, I can almost never make it to club meetings because they’re usually after school,” she said. “Even if cross country isn’t [going on], sometimes multiple meetings are on the same day and I have to prioritize which one to go to,” she said, explaining her scheduling conflicts. “It’s been especially hard right now because I am applying to colleges and for scholarships.”
To anyone worried about being overwhelmed, Badar reassured them. “I would tell anyone to not take on more than you can handle and that if you get really stressed, it’s okay. You don’t have to be involved in every club,” she said. “But, I do think that a club could be a good outlet for you to get away from schoolwork and have a good distraction that you enjoy. I have definitely found myself using the clubs I am in as a way to keep busy and happy.”
While Badar is heavily involved in high school, she is also looking forward to graduating and beginning the next step in her journey. “I have really enjoyed being in school and getting a chance to be involved, but I am so excited to start the rest of my life,” she said. “I have been working so hard to graduate and get into college, that it almost doesn’t feel like it’s actually going to happen. I can’t wait.”
Story by Molly McCurdy