Every two weeks during lunchtime, classroom E-14 teems with ambitious students uniting to discuss and sign up for community service in a meeting of the California Scholarship Foundation club.
People bustle around the room while the team of students who make up the club’s leadership committee announce new business. The atmosphere is chatty, but each student seems to be engaged in listening about each upcoming service event.
Dedicated to serving the community from dozens of different angles, CSF members attend lunchtime meetings to prepare for the many different types of service opportunities the club offers.
The meetings are always filled, but CSF is not open to everyone. While other community service clubs, like Key Club, allow students to volunteer with them regardless of grades, CSF requires students to take a variety of classes and have certain grade point average to become members.
While this makes the club more attractive when written about on college applications, it does have its drawbacks.
Junior Julia Semmler said, “The way that the GPA requirement works almost restricted me from joining the club, even though my overall average is good. However, now that I am in the club, I enjoy doing CSF service projects with my friends.”
Regardless of the requirements, CSF does provide students with a plethora of ways to reach out to the community and give back. Senior and CSF president Melanie Anderson has been inspired by the club through her high school years.
Anderson said, “Throughout my time in CSF, our membership has increased greatly and we now have at least two volunteer opportunities each month. We have been able to help out with so many organizations, including Second Harvest Food Bank, Goodwill, My New Red Shoes, and St. Vincent de Paul. We go by the motto “Scholarship and Service” and require a certain GPA to make sure our members have time for school and the club.”
While community service often carries the reputation of being “boring,” and “tedious,” CSF’s events are fun, engaging, and easily done, especially when students are able to do projects with friends.
Junior Maggie Donaldson said, “CSF’s projects are so much fun to do, and it is great that we do not have to seek for the opportunities to volunteer ourselves- it is all done for us. I love that I am able to so easily volunteer with my closest friends who are also in the club.”
CSF members most recently participated in a Valentine’s Day community service event where students made Valentine cards for seniors in San Carlos.
With park cleanings, volunteer expos, and more in store for the club, CSF’s outreach this year will be mighty.
Anderson said, “It is great to see students in the club find their passions in community service and feel great after helping others in the community.”
