Involvement Adds Value to Students’ College Experience

“One of the reasons Bellevue College is such an outstanding place to be a student is that there are so many opportunities for involvement,” said recent BC grad Sophia Trinh, of Bellevue. Besides theatrical groups, musical ensembles, and athletics there are about 90 diverse campus organizations.

Students involvement in campus clubs is not just for fun, although there is plenty of that, too.  Leadership skills are built, particularly by students who take on roles as officers. BC students have ample opportunity to put their commitment to service, leadership and social justice to work. Another advantage, participating in club activities can often be nice additions to a college application, scholarship application or resume. Campus clubs also help students get acquainted with other students of like interests.

A perfect example of all those advantages is BC graduate Michael Yoon. As a BC freshman, Yoon’s primary motivation was to get to know people, but as a club member, he accomplished that and so much more.

“I went to high school in South Korea, and I had no friends at Bellevue College.” said Yoon. “I wanted Bellevue College to be a place where I could not only take classes but make some true friends

I joined BLC (Business Leadership Club) because it related to my major. BLC made me feel like it was my home. Not only members of BLC, but also advisers Leslie Lum and Judith Paquette. They were always there to help me and guide me. They were like my mom. I got so much great advice not limited to academics, but also personal issues.”

Yoon later joined numerous other clubs and that “made me become less shy and more outgoing and sociable. Most importantly, it taught me various leadership skills from my peers on campus. Bellevue College is the most diverse college you will ever attend. I met so many different young leaders from different countries, and that taught me their leadership style and culture.”

And there are other big payoffs to club participation.

“Joining and participating in club activities helped me not only develop my leadership skills and establish great networks, but also helped me transfer to prestigious universities as well,” said Yoon. “I ended up being the Associated Student Government (ASG) VP of Student Affairs and Pluralism. It helped me get accepted at several universities including USC, Johns Hopkins, and UW, just to name a few. Currently, I am attending USC Marshall Business School as a junior. Experiences at Bellevue College helped my life at USC as well. I got several job offers by sending my resume and they were impressed at how involved I had been at BC.”

Trinh’s experience was similar to Michael’s. “I was so shy I didn’t even raise my hand in class. Getting really involved in clubs helped me get over my shyness.”

She eventually joined Photography Club, Amnesty International, Rotaract, and several cultural clubs. She ultimately became ASG VP of Student Affairs and Pluralism and Sustainability Outreach & Advocacy Coordinator. “But one of the best things about it was that I got to know many faculty, program managers and administrators. I also learned a lot about coordinating events and working with groups” said Trinh, and she thinks that helped her get accepted into the UW where she will major in Public Health Administration.

Several clubs coordinate community service projects. Possibly best known for that is Rotaract, sponsored by the Bellevue Rotary club. It is an international program for young adults who want to make a difference in the world. Among their service activities have been working at food banks, initiating fund raising campaigns for worthy causes, and holding events to raise disability awareness.

Many organizations add to a student’s knowledge and experience in a particular subject, like Docs and Dents for pre-med and pre-dental students. Several clubs are built around an ethnicity or location, such as the Japanese Conversation Club, African Student Club, Indonesian Fellowship Club and Latin American Culture Club. Sports are another common interest for many students and students have also created clubs related to their religion. While some other clubs provide personal growth and introspection there are clubs for students who just want to have fun, like the Flash Mob Club, Movie Club and Open Style Dance Club.

If there isn’t already something for everyone, a student can create a new club with very little effort. Like student Connor Relph, Renton, who last year cofounded the Bellevue College chapter of SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science), a national society with a 37-year history of supporting minority scientists and science students. Students may form a club around academic or personal interests and may request formal recognition and funding through the ASG chartering process. Chartering gives a club access to campus facilities, ASBC funding, advertising support, and training. There must be at least five currently-enrolled students and a faculty or staff advisor in order to form a club. For a complete list of Bellevue College student clubs, visit https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/organizations/.

– by Sharon Berg

Last Updated March 5, 2024