Club Spotlights

This year, there are many different clubs for Valencia High School students to join. Are you having trouble deciding what clubs you may be interested in? The Viking Vision interviewed a few clubs to help you decide which ones are right for you!

The Pad Project - Vice President Nicole Montes

instagram: @vhspadproject

1. What made you decide to start this club? If you didn’t start it, why did you choose to take over this club?

• “I chose to be a part of this club because I was drawn to its mission of breaking down the stigma around menstruation and working toward reducing period poverty.”

2. What is the purpose of this club?

• “This club aims to work toward providing access to period products for all menstruators, as well as making periods a topic that nobody should be ashamed to talk about.”

3. How does this club benefit students both socially and academically?

• “By fighting for access to menstrual products at school, we can ensure that menstrual cycles will not negatively affect anybody’s education. A period should only be the end of a sentence, not the end of an education.”

4. What are your plans for the future to grow this club even further?

• “Organizing events in the future that will help raise awareness and collect donations for women’s shelters will help our club achieve its mission.”

5. How has this club helped you and the other members in terms of leadership?

• “By working together to create events and drives, our club’s leadership has allowed us to create a community of people with the same goals as us!”

Med Ventures - President Nika Moosavi

instagram: @medventuresvhs

1. What made you decide to start this club? If you didn’t start it, why did you choose to take over this club?

• “I wanted to create a space for students interested in pursuing careers in medicine. We hope to organize guest lectures by healthcare professionals, offer guidance on college applications, and provide resources for exploring different medical fields.”

2. What is the purpose of this club?

• “The main goal of this club is to spread awareness about the different professions in the medical field. The club is aimed at helping people who are interested in the medical field, but don't really know what jobs it has to offer. I'm planning on bringing in doctors and people in the medical field to give speeches on their work-life, jobs, and the pathways they took to reach their careers.”

3. How does this club benefit students both socially and academically?

• “My club not only offers students a way to increase their knowledge about jobs in the medical field, but the club is a great way to network with people and possibly obtain internships or shadowing opportunities.”

4. What are your plans for the future to grow this club even further?

• “In the future, I hope to organize workshops or presentations for local schools or community events to educate members on various health topics. I also want to contact local hospitals, clinics, or nursing homes to get volunteer opportunities for my club members. They could assist with activities, spend time with patients, or help organize health-related events.”

5. How has this club helped you and the other members in terms of leadership?

• “I've had the opportunity to develop my leadership abilities while running this club. My board and I have organized meetings and invited speakers. Through this club, my range of professional contacts has grown as a result of networking with medical experts. Overall, this experience has benefited my leadership development and given our club members access to similar possibilities.”

INDUSTRY - Co President Lily Christiansen

instagram: @industry.vhs

1. What made you decide to start this club? If you didn’t start it, why did you choose to take over this club?

• “I wanted to start INDUSTRY because I felt that there weren't many fashion and self expression outlets for students in SCV that really valued inclusivity and having fun with being creative, so I wanted to help change that!”

2. What is the purpose of this club?

• “The purpose of INDUSTRY is to help give back to the creative community by helping people to discover themselves and feel better about who they are through showcasing everything in fashion culture as well as displaying students' own individual talent!”

3. How does this club benefit students both socially and academically?

• “Socially, INDUSTRY is a great way to expand your boundaries and meet other people who are also creative and have similar interests. Academically, the club is a way to push yourself to create and learn more about teamwork, dedication and leadership, while also working with yourself and your own ideas to eventually carry out a specific project or vision. INDUSTRY also is great for anyone who wants to go into a creative field that needs to build up a portfolio.”

4. What are your plans for the future to grow this club even further?

• “Me and the two other officers at INDUSTRY really want to expand to all of SCV, not just Valencia high school, so we really want to get school clubs and students from different schools involved to be a part of larger projects like big photoshoots, or fashion shows!”

5. How has this club helped you and the other members in terms of leadership?

• “Most people who have been involved in INDUSTRY so far have definitely found a new love for fashion culture and are starting and leading their own photoshoots and personal projects. I think our club is a great way to gain confidence and experience in order to take what you are passionate about and turn it into something bigger and better!”

EngIn -President Angela Yun

instagram: @vhs_engin

1. What made you decide to start this club? If you didn’t start it, why did you choose to take over this club?

• “I started this club in hopes that other students in Valencia like me get the opportunity to experience and be a part of ENGin and its cause. It is truly personally fulfilling to see my Ukraine buddy’s growth in English over time, and I was hoping that others can develop cross-cultural connection and genuine friendship with their buddies no matter the size of the club. The organization states that “we aim to connect Ukraine to the world in order to propel its postwar reconstruction and longer-term economic & social development.” Considering Ukraine’s current situation with war, I hoped that other Valencia students would gain more awareness through their buddies.”

2. What is the purpose of this club?

• “The purpose of this club is to provide online conversational practice to Ukrainian learners who wish to improve their English. Through weekly zoom sessions for one hour, over time, it is amazing to see how far they have progressed in their English journey. The purpose of this club is to create a bond of friendship with your Ukrainian buddy and help them grow more confident and comfortable with the English language, perhaps in preparation for their future careers.”

3. How does this club benefit students both socially and academically?

• “Even though this club is small, I really hope that the genuine and compassionate cause of this club really shines through. I believe students can obtain more cultural knowledge of Ukraine and the war as well as practice on initiative and leadership skills as a tutor.”

4. What are your plans for the future to grow this club even further?

• “I hope this club can reach out to more students in Valencia next year. This club is part of an international organization that is looking for more volunteers. I hope Valencia students can help be a part of this cause.”

5. How has this club helped you and the other members in terms of leadership?

• “As we prepare lesson plans and guide our buddies through conversational practice, it definitely takes initiative and leadership skills. Personally, it has helped me gain confidence as a leader as I walk through the lessons and conversations with my buddy. I believe it has helped me with my listening and empathy skills as well.”