Marist Student Activities Provide Opportunities for Growth

Student activities at Marist provide students with opportunities to grow and develop interests while broadening their perspectives and developing leadership skills—all while having fun. Although Marist faculty moderate, sponsor, and mentor all activities and clubs, students drive the scope, program, and purpose. 

It’s fitting that Director of Campus & Student Activities Mrs. Amelia Luke ’01 manages student activities at Marist—as a student at Marist, she found her home in extracurriculars and understands the meaningful opportunities provided by student activities. She shared, “Student activities fulfill so many things that students need outside of the classroom. They provide a low-stakes environment where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes.”

She added, “One of the unique aspects of Marist is that our clubs are student-initiated and student-led. We really try to follow the interests of our students, which means our offerings are constantly evolving. It’s always interesting to see what our students will come up with.”

Students can choose to participate in more than 80 opportunities ranging from student government, media, interest clubs, academic clubs, academic competitive teams, honor societies, Campus Ministry, and fine arts. There is an activity for everyone to explore. In fact, over 98% of Marist students participate in some sort of extracurricular activity on campus.

Most activities are open to all grades at Marist. Mrs. Luke said, “It’s great for 7th graders to see how clubs work, which leads them to be more engaged and involved in their time at Marist as they learn from the example of older students.”

Recent additions to student activities include a Music Appreciation Club, the Black Student Alliance, Latin American Studies Culture Club, Future Health Professionals Club, Girls Bible Study, and the Science National Honor Society, among others. Based on student interest, Girls Who Code will be coming soon for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Marist recently inducted the charter members of the new Science National Honor Society chapter. Members were invited by the Science Department due to their outstanding performance in science classes including AP courses. Moderator and Science Teacher Ms. Carol Rivera said, “The purpose of the chapter is to encourage participation in and recognition of scientific and intellectual thought; to advance the students’ knowledge of classical and modern science; to communicate with the scientific community; to aid the civic community with its comprehension of science; and to encourage students to participate in community service.” 

The group has already completed a service project for St. Joseph’s Hospital children’s ward. They made encouraging cards and butterflies and flowers to decorate the ward. The Science National Honor Society’s plans for the future include inviting guest speakers from the local scientific community to share their experiences with the Marist community.

Students like Mary Clifton Carr ’23 enjoy exploring varied activities at Marist. Carr is involved in theater and chorus in addition to serving as a board member of the Active Minds club and a Student Council class representative. She said, “I am so grateful that I get to be involved in these activities here at Marist because they have taught me so much about responsibility, teamwork, and who I am as a person and student. In each of these places, especially the fine arts, I have found a family and met friends who continue to be role models for me. I also have been able to get to know some of the teachers and administrators here at Marist who have made my middle and high school experience amazing.”

Over the course of his time at Marist, Student Council Co-president Patrick Withers ’21 has been a member of the debate team and Peace by Piece, a club focused on fostering a respect for and an understanding of other religious traditions; a retreat leader and peer leader through Campus Ministry; a participant in the Model Arab League; a student council representative; and a varsity soccer player.  Describing his activities, he said, “These are just a fraction of the extracurricular activities provided at Marist, and they have made a huge impact on my high school career. When you join clubs, you meet people who share similar interests that you may have never met. I have learned about a wide range of topics and met some wonderful people through my extracurriculars, and this has made me a much better and more well-rounded person.”

Clare Seymour ’21 has been very intentional to be as involved as possible during her time at Marist. She said, “Through clubs, honor societies, and leadership positions, I have learned what I'm interested in, grown new skills, and built lasting relationships.”

She added, “One club that I have loved being a part of and even helped start in my freshman year is Share the Journey, a club where we advocate for refugees and immigrants. It has impacted my experience at Marist so much as it has truly shown me what I am passionate about… we went from meeting unofficially on Tuesday mornings to becoming an official school club that meets during activity period. It's awesome to say that I was part of making that happen.”

Student activities enhance Marist’s academic program, providing invaluable opportunities and helping form Marist students into global-ready servant leaders.