With all the different extracurricular activities offered in school, students have a multitude of options. A small but welcoming organization that focuses on serving the community is just what students might be looking for and Key Club fill those requirements.

“Key Club offers students the opportunity to give back to their community and school,” Key Club president Brode Kessler said. “Being a part of Key Club has helped me not only give back to my community but has also provided an outlet for me to grow as a leader. I have been able to foster a better relationship with volunteering through the experience.” 

Key Club not only provides an opportunity to volunteer, but it also works to improve the character of individuals. 

“There are no requirements to be in Key Club. You don’t have to have a certain GPA, you don’t have to come to all the meetings, and you won’t get penalized for not showing up,” Riena said. “It’s kind of come at your leisure and that overall makes you feel better about showing up.” 

Members enjoy being a part of the club because it gives them choice and flexibility when it comes to volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

“Key Club allows students to manage their time and volunteer in areas that interest them,” Brode said. “Allowing this process creates a more authentic service experience for the students and the community they are serving.” 

The enthusiasm involved with giving back to the community is a feeling that co-sponsor teacher Kristen Runyen can relate to from when she was involved in a high school club.

“I was a part of the Interact Club, which is similar to Key Club,” Runyen said. “We don’t have an Interact Club here and so Key Club is the closest thing, so I wanted to get involved.” 

The club works with the city and other entities to ensure they maximize their impact.

“The nice thing is we tend to join events that the city has provided,” Runyen said. “If a particular group like I Heart Bryan comes to us with some kind of topic they need to help on, they know that Key Club is the group that they can go through when needing volunteers.” 

While students help continue on a larger scale to the entire community, they also bring things closer to home by giving back to the school.

“My favorite service project has been the one where we clean the student parking lot because it gets disgusting so fast, and we walk through it every morning,” Riena said. “It’s nice just walking through and it not being filled with trash and taking ownership of something that is ours as students.” 

Key Club welcomes any interested students and encourages them to find their niche in giving back to the community.

“We’re starting to build our member numbers in Key Club and the number of students involved with volunteering opportunities,” Runyen said. “There’s more participation than we’ve had in the previous couple of years, so we’re hoping to continue to keep people involved, and students the ability to give back to their communities.” 

Key Club meets every other Thursday immediately after school in room 1200, upstairs on Silver Campus. If any student would like to get involved, they should stop and check it out.