From Hobby to Life-Changer: The Impact of Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities: they might seem like just another item on a student's to-do list, but they have the power to transform lives. Take Suzuka Kuwada, for instance. She's a textile artist based in New York, and she owes much of her success to an unlikely source: beetles.

Yes, you read that right - beetles! Suzuka honed her craft at Genspace, Brooklyn's first community biotechnology laboratory. Here, she learned how to create sustainable co-designs on textiles using Dermestid beetles. It's a unique and eco-friendly method that results in breathtaking designs. Thanks to her experiences at Genspace, Suzuka has been able to blend her love of art history from both the East and West to create something truly innovative.

But the impact of extracurriculars isn't just limited to the arts. Just look at Derrick Tabb, founder of the non-profit organization "The Roots of Music" in New Orleans. He's seen firsthand how music education can transform lives. The organization empowers youth through discipline, tutoring, and - of course - music. And it's not just about making beautiful sounds - The Roots of Music has helped countless young musicians become successful in their own right.

One notable example being former member Nicole Anderson. She was accepted into Berkley’s City Music in Boston and is now a proud graduate. It's stories like these that remind us of the true power of extracurricular activities, and how they can be life-changing.

But it's not just about the end result - extracurricular activities also offer numerous benefits along the way. They can provide students with real-world experiences and skills that are valuable in their future careers. For example, students involved in robotics clubs can gain experience in engineering and programming, while students involved in debate clubs can develop their public speaking and critical thinking skills.

According to occupational therapist Alexander Tham, extracurricular activities can be broken down into three factors: creativity, action, and service. Creativity refers to learning or honing a new skill, action refers to group or individual school activities, and service refers to providing students with a sense of community and social responsibility. (don’t know if I should remove this section)

While extracurriculars are too often dismissed as inconsequential, studies have shown that they play a significant part in developing a person's character. As time progresses, even Ivy League institutions have come to acknowledge the significance of extracurricular activities with a large number of them mandating applicants to have involvement in a specific number of these pursuits as they offer a glimpse into a student's non-academic abilities and provide opportunities to cultivate qualities such as curiosity, adaptability, self-control, teamwork, and a sense of belonging.

Furthermore, extracurricular activities can also have a positive impact on a student's mental and physical well-being. Participating in sports, for example, can improve physical fitness, while being part of a theater or music group can help to reduce stress and anxiety.

As the stories of Suzuka Kuwada and Derrick Tabb have shown us, extracurricular activities are not just hobbies - they can be life-changing and can enable people to master their craft and make impactful changes in society. From the arts to sports to community service, these pursuits have shown the power extracurriculars have to transform students' lives, both in the short and long term.

Whether it's gaining valuable skills, discovering new passions, or making lifelong connections, extracurricular activities can help students become the best versions of themselves. So the next time you hear someone dismissing these pursuits as trivial, keep in mind the success stories of students who have found their calling and changed the world through their extracurricular endeavors.