“To build my home, school and community; to serve my nation and world; and combat all forces which tend to undermine these institutions.” The group repeats in unison with their right hand held up, parallel to their body. This pledge is not said while looking at a waving flag with 13 stripes and 50 stars, but rather at Key Club co-president, SHS senior Kortney Toso during the monthly Key Club meeting. Here, members and officers use the Key Club pledge to unite and motivate each other to make positive change in the community.
Toso, along with co-president, SHS senior Brooke Thrall and Advisor Beth Anderson have taken on organizing, planning, and leading Stoughton High School’s Key Club through the 2021-2022 school year. The club is the student-led version of Kiwanis Club, both service organizations that give members the chance to help those in the community and to build leadership skills along the way.
“[Key Club] has the values that I believe everyone should live their life by, and that’s helping others and being kind and volunteering and serving,” Anderson says.
Already this year, Key Club has participated in several activities that help out the community, such as picking up trash along Highway B and taking part in a kite-flying event for kids at Sandhill Elementary School. Last year, the club put on kindness week where good deeds were done daily.
Toso has learned through participating in and leading these events that any good deed or time given to the club will teach members a lot because they are giving back.
“[Key Club] definitely made me better at helping people out and not expecting anything in return. I’m just giving as much as I can to help other people. It’s given me a lot of leadership skills, even as a member, because members can find volunteer opportunities and propose them to the officers,” Toso says.
Key Club unlocks many opportunities for its members, but it does cost $15 annually to officially be a part of the international organization. Although, Toso points out that paying this price is an investment for one’s future due to Key Club’s positive presence on pages from job resumes to college and national honor society applications.
No matter the decision a student makes about joining Key Club, Anderson will support them through it.
“It’s my hope and dream that every student finds something they’re passionate about. You don’t have to join Key Club […] ” Anderson says, “Just make the most of your high school career.”