College students have varied opinions of their high schools. Some have a great deal of pride in them; others don’t look back at all. Some stay in contact with their high school friends and teachers; others cut their ties when they leave for college. However you feel about your high school, there are many ways in which you can stay involved and give back to it.
Why stay involved?
There are many reasons, most of which have to do with helping the school and the faculty that have helped you out over the past four years. And while you may not think right now that they did anything to help you, it’s possible that you’ll change your mind in six months, or a few years.
Try to imagine what it’s like to be a high school teacher or administrator. You get up every day and go to work, where hundreds, if not thousands, of teenagers are waiting for you. And they’re usually not very cooperative, and often not friendly. But you still do it every day, because you want to help them move on and improve their lives. Sound like a tough job?
It is. It’s people like these that make big differences in lives, and it behooves every high school graduate to give back to their high school.
If nothing else, it’s good to stay involved in your high school so that you can help out the students there. They’re probably thinking the same thing you were—that they’d rather not be in class, that the teachers don’t like them, and that administrators exist to give them trouble.
Wouldn’t it be nice if a former student could talk to them, even if just to sympathize? You, like the teachers, can make a difference in these students’ lives.
How do I get started?
So giving back to your high school sounds like a good idea. Here’s how to get started:
Different schools allow different levels of involvement, so it’s important to talk to someone at the school first. Call up the principal or another high-level administrator (if your high school is large enough, you might even have a volunteer coordinator or some other such person to talk to) and ask them how you can help out.
Maybe you can be a chaperone at a dance, or stop into a classroom once a week to help out one of the teachers that you liked a lot. Or you could be a gym monitor over a lunch period. Some athletically inclined alumni will get involved in a high school sports program that they participated in as a student.
Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.
Albert Einstein
Regardless of how you give back, you will be greatly appreciated, and you will make a positive difference in the lives of the students, the teachers, and the faculty at your high school. And isn’t that reason enough?
Call up your high school today and see what you can do to help out.