A big part of the high school experience involves obtaining volunteer hours. Whether it’s helping out at a food pantry or donating clothes to the homeless shelter, every minute matters to our community.
Rowlett has three major service organizations: Rotary Interact, Student Council, and National Honor Society. Each organization has their own different responsibilities and tasks within the school and city community.
“Rotary is a great club,” Rotary President Brissa Espiricueta-Alaniz said. “If you really love volunteering, I feel like this is the club for you”
Partnering with the official Rowlett Rotary Club, the Rotary Interact club is a student-led service club that works on projects such as making Valentine’s cards for children in hospitals and writing letters to senior citizens.
“Rotary Interact is a lot more community focused than NHS,” said Valeria Olivares, Rotary Vice-President and NHS President. “We recently made Valentine’s cards in memory of a little girl who died on Valentine’s Day.”
Similar to Rotary Interact and NHS, the Student Council organization offers volunteer opportunities for students. Their projects take on a more school-focused perspective.
“In StuCo we try to create a [sense of] community in the entire student body,” Student Council President Varunya Pongvaramitchai said. “[The main aim is] making everyone feel like they belong here at RHS.”
Knowing the difference between these organizations can be confusing to students, but one key component is emphasized in all of them: providing a helping hand to those in need.
“[NHS] is a nice opportunity to get out into the general school community. It’s a lot of fun when you go to the elementary events,” Olivares said.
The need for youth volunteers is always in high demand. Volunteer clubs provide vital community support while building strong relationships with peers and fostering personal growth.
“We have a lot more opportunities and students this year to go and volunteer at different places within Rowlett,” Espiricueta-Alaniz said. “It’s a great community. It holds great opportunities with scholarships and camps.”
These organizations are constantly changing due to the fact that new members join each year. The dynamic between members and leaders is essential.
“There’s something for everyone in Student Council,” Pongvaramitchai said. “I think by opening [our volunteer opportunities] up to NHS and Rotary, we got more people involved.”
