By Vy Nguyen
Upon entering the black gates of Fountain Valley High School (FVHS), there is an immediate change in the atmosphere. From students’ dedication to their studies to their pursuits after high school, the air on campus is electrified by the fiery drive of students. As a new club, Baron Meets World knows what students truly want and delivers–the chance to take charge of their own high school journeys and prepare for their future dreams.
When thinking about ideas for a new club, Baron Meets World co-founders Myla Chi and Donovan Doan thought hard about what students needed the most.
“Me and my co-president Donovan Doan both wanted to bring something to campus and we wanted to make a change. We wanted to help students,” Chi said. “[And] something we noticed at Fountain Valley High School is the academic pressure, not only in school but everything following school.”
Keeping students’ pressures and worries in mind, Baron Meets World aims to relieve their stress. The club’s mission? Helping students, with all types of interests, from all stages of their high school life.
Whether you plan to go to college or pursue a technical career, or simply want to have the best high school experience, the club offers endless resources. Such as, promotion of new courses to take, announcements of Regional Occupational Programs (ROPs) classes, to college visits.
For students that want to go to college, they can find college visits lining up almost every day of any given week. With talks in the library and table presentations around the bowl, there is more college representation than ever at FVHS.
“We’ve had a lot of college representatives come and talk about their schools, such as UCR [and] UCSB,” Chi said. “And then we have a lot of lunch table visits [also], from community colleges to, say, Arizona State [University] to private [colleges.]”
With the help of College and Career Specialist Chloe Orel, Baron Meets World has been able to invite several admissions counselors to FVHS. As a former college admissions officer herself, Orel plays a key role in the club’s ability to connect to otherwise difficult-to-reach college admission officers. Taking the role of club advisor, she is one of the club’s many secrets as to how they’re able to go above and beyond for students.
Because of the club’s connection, the club also promotes all activities in the making at the College and Career Center. Aside from the club’s events, students will never miss any additional college visits offered by Orel, financial aid presentations, or other resources.
During the months of college applications and deadlines, Baron Meets World strives to offer help in the hectic process. Yet, the club also hopes to remind students of this crucial takeaway: college is not the “end all, be all” that it appears.
“I hope people just realize that your experience is not going to be like the next person. I think it’s so easy to stress, especially because there just seems to be so much competition. Everyone is so driven, ambitious and seems like they know what they are doing,” Chi said. “But in the end, we’re all in the same boat, dealing with the same thing and everything will work out.”
With so much potential left for Baron Meets World, Chi looks forward to all the exciting events they have in store. Soon, the club plans to invite a range of people of diverse career fields to come in and talk to students, exposing them to different jobs and how to enter certain fields.
The club’s board members have also begun implementing weekly college essay workshops. From now until Nov. 30, seniors can come to the College and Career Center during lunch to receive feedback from guidance counselors on their college essays.
Though starting out as a new club on campus, Baron Meets World has understood campus culture perfectly. Diving head-first into club activities and events, they have shaped their club to be a space that meets students where they are at.
“What I think sets [Baron Meets World] apart is that we’re very student-based. We don’t [necessarily] check attendance at meetings or [focus on] service hours,” Chi said. “Everything is just for the students.”
Chi mentions that one of the club’s top features is their questionnaire. Open to students to fill out at all times, the questionnaire asks students what they want to see more of in the club. Several suggestions mentioned on the list, namely workshops for college essays, have already taken action.
“Our main purpose is to help the students [and] provide resources… so we are very responsive to student feedback,” Chi said, “We just wanted to bring this outlet for students to come for help…The point of our club is to come to what you think will help—we are just here to provide the resources.”
