Dear Nashie,
Who should I talk to to get more involved in the community? How should I do this?
Sincerely,
Anonymous Freshman
Dear Anonymous Freshman,
It’s great that you want to get a little more involved in the community, and there are lots of ways to do that. I think that the competitive environment at Hockaday might cause some to think that that if they aren’t Student Council President, active on the Community Service Board and a lead in the musical, they aren’t “involved.”
I think that myth should be dispelled. Whether you contribute to Hockaday in a big or a small way, you’re still helping to make this school a better place.
There are lots of ways to get involved in the community, and they don’t all involve serving in leadership positions, although that is certainly one way to leave a mark on this school. The first step is to carefully consider your interests – how would you like to “get involved”? Why? How much time are you willing to dedicate? What are some activities that excite you?
After giving that some thought, you can reach out to Mrs. Jones, Mr. Murray, your advisor, or a faculty member that supervises an activity that interests you. All of these faculty members will be helpful in giving you more specific information about how to get involved.
And be sure to think about joining activities that don’t necessarily connect right back to Hockaday. Joining the teen boards at Wesley Rankin or Genesis Women’s Shelter, for example, seems like a logical next step if giving back to the community is important to you.
As an added bonus, many Hockaday girls serve on both of these boards, so joining the boards at these two organizations can help you make new friends who both attend Hockaday and other schools around the metroplex. But that’s just one example of the numerous and varied ways in which you can give back to Hockaday and the larger Dallas community.
Talking to students across the different grades in Upper School, as well as girls in your own grade, can give you a boost of inspiration, if you’re lacking it. So don’t be afraid to approach girls in older grades and faculty members. I promise that all of these [very nice and not scary] people will be willing to help you and offer you insight and specific advice.
