“That will look great on college applications.”

This is one of the most common phrases high school students hear when they are participating in any sort of extracurricular activities. Aside from trying to build a strong resume, why would students overload themselves with extracurriculars?

Most people would answer this question with one word. College. However, here at St. Pius X, student involvement is more than just for looks, but for the relationships and life lessons developed along the way. 

Juggling school, study, and sleep is hard enough as is, but throw in a few more hours worth of activities make it look seemingly impossible. 

Junior, Kearny Prendiville, says the hardest part of it all is “staying on top of it all.”

Prendiville is a part of the marching band, academic quiz bowl team, and track and field. He says that he’s in season what feels like all the time. Constant practices and loads of homework can seem like a lot, but for Prendiville, moving around is just what he needs to be able to focus on homework.

Bella Gratch, a senior at St. Pius, has learned the importance of “openness and communication with moderators” in order to be able to balance three varsity sports, multiple honor societies, and various clubs.

“Keeping an organized schedule is one of the most difficult but also the most important,” Gratch says, “however learning how to do that now has given me a lot of security going forward into college.”

Along with that, many social skills can be developed through sports, clubs, etc. Freshman, Stella House, is on Student Council and the varsity volleyball team at St. Pius. 

Coming into a new school with the goal of being on student council was very intimidating for House, but she learned how to “put myself out there, despite how scary it was.” However, she says shes made some of her closest friends in and outside of her grade despite her initial worries. She says that “it was all so worth it.”

Finally, junior, Connor Tozier, a part of the sports medicine program, has had to learn how to insert himself into many different sport atmospheres such as the football, basketball, and soccer.

Connor said that along with learning important time management skills, he’s learned how to “be open to talking to many different people.”

So even though extracurricular activities can build a strong resume for students in preparation for college, that’s not what it all about. The lasting skills that will benefit teenagers for life make it worth while.