When I was in eighth grade, I went to the Notre Dame open house and was immediately overwhelmed by the festive atmosphere. The band was playing, cheerleaders were doing routines, teachers were showing off what their students were doing in class, and theater club students were walking around in costumes for the play they were performing. And on top of all of that, there were so many clubs. It really seemed that there was a club for practically anything. This ended up being one of the reasons I chose Notre Dame.

I am not exaggerating when I say Notre Dame has a club for everything. From charity clubs like Refugee Relief to affinity clubs like the Japanese Club to fun clubs like the Fashion Club, Notre Dame has it all. 

As a freshman, I have been told by numerous parents, teachers, seniors, etc. that joining clubs is essential in high school. But why is this? 

ND Grillers and Pride Club co-president Everett Smith ‘25 says, “[joining clubs] gives you a sense of community, especially if you are just starting a school, and it also helps you meet people with similar interests to you, like the Theater Club, Pride Club, etc.” 

Similarly, LemonAID Warriors club president Sergio Chavez ‘24 states that “[clubs can] be a sort of community if maybe you don’t have that or are looking to expand that. I know that I’ve found some community through the club itself. Someone should also join a club for leadership positions, and not just in the context of college applications or putting it on your resume, but generally building people skills and social skills like being able to talk to a crowd and control a room – [this] is really helpful for confidence reasons, communication, etc.” 

Not only does being a part of school clubs look very good on college applications, clubs help improve communication skills and cultivate creative thinking skills. To name a few Notre Dame clubs that help with this, Model UN, Outreach Club, and Publications Club all can improve communication and creative thinking skills.

The University Network states, “Not only will adding a club or other extracurricular activity to your resume make you more appealing to colleges and universities, but clubs have also been proven to lead to better academic, health, and career outcomes.”

So what are some of the clubs you should join this year? Well, if you take a quick look at the club page on the Notre Dame website, you will quickly be overwhelmed by the vast amount of clubs. Here are a few clubs that I noticed were extra popular on Club Day: the Table Tennis Club, LemonAID Warriors, Surf Club, Italian Club, and Environmental Club.

When asked what clubs they signed up for, the new freshmen were eager to share the variety of clubs they joined. Luciano Perman ‘27 states, “I joined the Italian Club, Acapella Club, Korean Club, and a bunch of other ones.” Avielle Teleten ‘27 says, “I joined a lot of clubs but some of them were Surf Club, JSU, Theater Club, and Refugee Relief.” Elizabeth Gabagat ‘27 says, “Some of the clubs I joined were the Astronomy Club and Make a Wish.” And lastly, Nicole Gowanlock ‘27 states, “I joined the Fashion Club, the Astronomy Club, and the Film Club.”

When asked if they wanted to create a club of their own in the future, Perman ‘27 states, “We’ll see what way the wind blows, but probably.” Teleten ‘27 says, “I would love to create a club of my own in the future.”

 Gabagat ‘27 states, “Some of my friends and I want to create a music today club where we would talk about musicians and music put out today.”

In sum, joining clubs in high school is very important. They help you connect with people, improve your communication skills, and strengthen your creative thinking. We are so lucky to go to a school with so many clubs, so get out there and find the clubs that are best for you!