Think about a time when you joined a new group activity (maybe a team, religious retreat, club, or workplace).
- How did you feel when you first joined?
- Do you recall a moment when you felt like you were part of the group?
- What benefits did you get from participation in the group?
- What can you do to help yourself feel like part of a group at City Tech?
I joined my high school basketball team my senior year. I was first scared because the girls already knew each other from last year so I thought I wasn’t going to fit in. I remember the first time I felt part of the team is when I played my first game with them and we won and went to McDonalds to celebrate. We all got to know each other way better because we connected more with the victory. The benefits was a friendship with people that love the sport just like me and I got to pass my gym class by playing for the team and just overall happiness. I can join clubs or the basketball team if they have one. Be more social with school go in in school events.
I as well can feel how you feel where when you join a sport or even club most likely the people that are there already know each other and even makes you feel like you out of place and get nervous but after a while you see the connections with the people around that club which starts to build up conversations and even friendship over time which I had that same experience when I joined a club in high school as well.
I agree that at first our insecurities make us doubt ourselves, but in the end we can do very good things and connect very well with other people. I personally am a shy person, but I would like to be more sociable and be able to make friends at City Tech.
Basketball is one of my favorite sports so its good to hear you enjoyed being on the team in high school.
I joined my high school soccer team my junior year, I remember being so scared since many looked much more experienced and older than me but I was happy I wasn’t the only new person on the team. A time where I felt a part of the team was after our practice one day most of the team stayed back and we walked around central park just getting to know each other and just talk, its a nice memory. Some benefits would have to be making new friends and since my English teacher was the coach I got to build a better connection with him which made the class and sport more fun. Something I can do to help myself would be joining different clubs that would help me learn more about my major and my interest, so that I can meet new people and socialize.
i share a similar experience.it’s always scary to join a new team but once you guys bond over the sport and talk more it becomes like a second family . and the benefits are always good coming out of a sport team
Meeting new people is always a great way to get in the habit of interacting and I’m glad to hear you enjoyed being on the soccer team in high school.
The first time I joined the Makerspace which was for landscape architecture projects was during my freshmen year which we were still remote. I felt so nervous and scared because it was my first time being part of any architectural projects and it was a whole new experience and I was just nervous in general that this might not even work out for me since at the end, we had to do a final presentation which I wasn’t used to at all. During this process of coming up for a design for a project in Lake Como NJ, a lot of time my peers made sure we understood our parts and even met up daily to make process and I felt like I fit right in because everyone had a part which they were good or comfortable with, so it made my experience overall better. The benefits that I got from participating in this is the opportunity to work with architecture firms and even continued working with the stakeholder of Lake Como for my 4 years and got recognition by them included. I believe just getting involved like in events or even clubs to make me feel part of the group at City Tech which will take a while like in high school but will happen.
I’m so glad you got experience! Cause in my case I’m brand new to the field
The experience you shared seems like everyone had each others back which sounds great.
Last summer I joined my friend to volunteer at the Harlem food pantry. I felt nervous because I kept interrupting her since she got there first, to ask where certain produces were. Well at the end it was just me and 3 others fixing paper bag lunches and it felt like I finally did something good that summer. I benefitted in the way that I helped the organization that stands for something good, I got the hang of it after an hour or so and it was something new for me. I will certainly join clubs and participate in my classes this fall to try and make connections.
I can somehow feel how you felt at that time because I used to get nervous when I was first in a new place and I would get very nervous even if my friend was there with me, I would still mess up with some things.
Nice!
joining clubs, participating in classes and making connections are great concepts that you mentioned.
I remember when I first joined my high school track and field team, I was so nervous and scared. I thought that nobody would talk to me or that they would be mean to me since I was the only new girl joining. A time where I felt like I was part of the team was when we had that one track meet at Syoset and I actually had to run with the girls, and they actually called me and explain to me how things work, how I should not be worried, and they would be there for me.That was very comforting. The benefits that I got from being part of this team was to improve my social skills, have fun and share the same hobbies. To help myself feel like part of a group at City Tech is to talk to people because I’m really bad at socializing.
Its good to hear you had a great experience being a part of your team.
When I first joined Girls Inc. during my sophomore year of high school I felt anxious yet grateful for being selected. The moment where I felt being part of Girls Inc is when we organize ourselves to advocate for period poverty. As we made bags for women in shelters, we each were required to distribute a note inside of these bags and for the majority many of us felt at loss. However, with some of the assistance of our peer mentors and students many of us wrote more than what was needed. The benefits I got from participating in this group is a safe space, being able to create a club inside of my school, trips, new friends, and a post high school program. What I could do to help myself feel part of a group at City Tech is getting involve in clubs that peak my interest and making connections with my peers, which will be difficult but not impossible.
Making connections with your peers can take you a long way so its good to hear.
I remember the first feeling I got when I joined my majorette dance team at my high school it made me feel as I found a place where I can express my feelings and emotions through dancing. One moment that I can recall when I felt as if I was apart of a group was when my team decided to do a probate for our sisterhood and you had to be invited by the dance coach to be apart if it. I got a few benefits from being apart of the team but what really stood out was the fact that I met friends through it that we are now apart of my closer circle. I feel like to make myself feel apart if a city tech group I would have to find a club that sparks my interest and go there constantly and be opening to making friends within that club.
Clubs are definitely a way to interact with others and find new interests so I’m glad you mentioned it.
When I first joined the basketball team in middle school I was nervous and insecure about my skills, I was inexperienced and felt pressured to preform well at all times but recall putting my all to it, my coaches and peers really helped me do my best, pushed me to my limits and beyond that I and becoming comfortable with my teammates and playing games with all kinds of people.
I had noticeable improvements, moved up the ranks because of all the practices and hours and workouts I had put in to it. I learned about the relationship one needs to establish with the basketball in order to connect with the sport and preform well. Most if not everyone I played with amazing sports that defended me in different forms and helped me learn to do certain things. They would pass the ball to me and I would always be included, they relied on me as much as I relied on them which really made me feel like I belonged, I was part of the group and very proud.
I gained experience with sports, physical fitness, teamwork/collaborations, discipline, strong mentality, skill developments, leadership and lastly responsibility.
To help me feel like I am apart of City Tech I could join a club of my interest and do well to represent the school.
Kiara Guerrero Ceballos
I think you really did great by listening to your coaches and peers. You understood the issues that were affecting you and found solutions that would end up making you gain those skills that you mentioned. You should feel very proud of yourself!
Basketball is my favorite sport and its good to hear you experience on the team was positive.
When I first joined high school I was very nervous about not being able to fit in with the other people, but over time I found some really nice people who became my friends. I didn’t feel alone there and I enjoyed all my classes. After a while of adjusting this helped me not to be afraid and to be able to make more friends and learn more every day. I think that what I can do to feel part of City Tech is to talk to classmates who are going to study the same career as me, joining clubs could help too.
Participating in my first club was actually really fun since I got to connect with people with the same interest as me and become friends with them. Being in that club helped me feel included and belonged. Being able to play a fighting game and make friends off it was an extremely enjoyable experience. Being able to becomes friends with people from a club is something I wanna mimic in city tech and I do 100% plan on trying out a club in city tech to just give it a chance in terms of finding people with the same interests as me
Participating in my first club was actually really fun since I got to connect with people with the same interest as me and become friends with them. Being in that club helped me feel included and belonged. Being able to play a fighting game and make friends off it was an extremely enjoyable experience. Being able to becomes friends with people from a club is something I wanna mimic in city tech and I do 100% plan on trying out a club in city tech to just give it a chance in terms of finding people with the same interests as me
Clubs are definitely great opportunities to meet others. The club you joined sounds fun as well.
When I was in a pre-college program for fashion styling we had to do a group project and we had to choose a group to work in. When I first joined the group it was somewhat quiet but as we kept going with the project we all got comfortable with each other and no one felt excluded from the group I honestly felt like I chose the right people to work with for that project. The benefit I got from participating in the group was that I ended out meeting people that I found that I could connect to. A way to help myself to feel like a group in City Tech is by participating in clubs and any events going on in City Tech
I’m glad you pointed out that clubs are not the only way to interact with others but also attending events is a great way to interact with others as well. The program you were in sounds interesting.
When I joined my first club, a VEX Robotics club, I was excited, especially because we were just coming out of COVID, and I was meeting new people whom I grew with throughout the season. I definitely felt like I was in the right place. Our team ended up making it to Worlds, and it was very rewarding knowing that everyone put in the work to get there as more than just a team. I think the benefit of being in that club was rewiring my social skills after being isolated for half a year. At City Tech, I want to make friends with similar interests and goals so we can grow together!
After building many different things in my middle schools stem program, I definitely recognize the feeling of satisfaction after working on a group project where everyone put in their all and a successful final product was put together.
Wow, its amazing to hear your team made it to worlds. Social skills are great skills that will take you far in your academic journey or future career.
One activity I recall doing was dancing. When I first joined my team I was young, probably around the age of 9 until I was 15. From the moment I joined the team, the members showed me a lot of love, support and made me feel part of the community. The benefits I got from being part of this team was the friendships I made as well as connections and overall being more disciplined. My Instructor always encouraged me to step out of the box, take advantage of the opportunities and be confident with my own self. I would make myself feel part of a City Tech group by engaging frequently with people and bond with them. I’m not afraid of trying new things out because I believe you can develop new skills, find interests in areas where you might haven’t considered before and gain new experiences.
Glad to hear your experience on the dance team was memorable. Trying new things can definitely have its benefits.
Sophomore year of high school my friend decided to start a mental health group for students that were too shy to go talk to counselors on their own or just escape from their adversity and have a safe space. At first I was nervous about sharing my own experiences with other people and wondering if they would feel comfortable sharing too, because my friend really wanted to build a community for students. Overtime we played games, got to know each other better and saw each other for who we were which was really special. Through my participation I gained to speak up about things I’ve been through to show people that we all have something in common and it’s good to see you have someone you can trust or go to for support. The best way for me to feel like I am a part of a group is to get out of my comfort zone by communicating and making connections with people, even if we don’t have the same major or personal interest we can still come together and share the things we enjoy with each other.
You have a great perception, even if students have different majors or interests its still good to get to know each other.
The first time I did SYEP was in a summer school with many SYEP interns as teacher assistant aid and teacher assistants. That was a brand new workplace for me and with a big group of people. I felt very nervous then and was scared that other interns or teacher assistants would laugh at me or not want to talk to me because I couldn’t speak English fluently. I still met my first friend on my first day at work, she listened to me patiently and tried to understand me when I said something that didn’t make sense in English. As the day went on, I made more friends with other interns and teacher assistants in that workplace, which made me feel like I finally became part of that team. One of the benefits I got from participating in this group is most of the interns and teacher assistants are still college students in New York City when I am struggling with college issues, I can find them to help me or get some suggestions from them and I did ask one of the friends I made in this group for help. The best way for me to help myself feel like part of a group at City Tech is to socialize with other students here, like joining a club that I like or finding and making friends that have the same interests as me and we can grow together, also help each out when needed.
Sounds great, making new friends is a good way to bond with others and help each other along the way as you mentioned.
I joined a stem class in middle school where we worked on different projects as the year went on. I remember feeling like I was truly part of the team when we finished building a go-cart together after working on it for a month. We all celebrated together and I had a smile on my face for the rest of that day. As a benefit from that class I gained problem solving skills and learned how to work in a large group. I might join a club in city tech to further improve my communication skills and further improve my ability to work in a group.
Amazing!
Building a go-cart sounds like a cool project to work on.
When I first joined my chess club, I was very shy and was a little nervous to participate. It took time but slowly I would just make conversation with my teammates and try to form connections and find common things to talk about. It’s beneficial to participate in groups because you learn to interact with others and to have more confidence in yourself. To help me feel more included at City tech I’ll try to join clubs and to also try to make new friends. My major has a lot of people and I hope we can find similar interests to bond over.
I’m glad to hear your excited to make new friends at City tech and the chess club you joined sounds interesting.
When I first worked my line cook job for syep I was very nervous. Due to being in a kitchen mistakes were always possible if not paying attention. When I first cut myself using a knife at the site all the workers reassured me that it was ok and they told me about the injuries they gave themselves on the job. This made me feel more comfortable at work knowing it was ok for mistakes to happen. Benefits I got from working In this group was free food.
Sounds good!
who doesn’t like free food and I’m glad to hear you experience helped you in some kind of way.
I didn’t really join anything but I would always go to my schools softball games whenever I could. I joined in the spring of my junior year of high school. It was really fun for me because I already knew all the rules because my dad played while i was growing up and my brother plays baseball so I already knew a lot about it. I felt like I was apart of the group during the regular season when I would arrive at the field a little bit later everyone would see me and say “Hey Alyssa what’s up”. Another time was when they had the final 4 game as a away game and I had my last 2 periods free which was lunch and my AP class. When I showed up some of my friends and there parents said “Wow you actually came you are our good luck.” They ended up winning by a few runs and everyone was trying to convince me to go to the championship game that Saturday. It was a little bit hard that day because I had a presentation with my community service people and my brother and his best friend had a game at the same exact time. However we quickly dropped them and my mom off and quickly drove to the game. Unfortunately they didn’t win but it was fun. I saw some old teachers and current teachers while we were there. The last time was when all the seniors and I graduated they invited me to take pictures with them. One of the main benefits from participating in the group was getting close with a lot of the players and watching them demolish every single team that they went up against even though my dad and brother thought that they really sucked because of 1 game they saw 3 years ago. I can attend some if there games or join some clubs which will help me feel apart a group at City tech.
Excellent!
I enjoyed reading about you experience of what you did in high school. Clubs are a great way to get involved at City tech and to be a part of a group as you mentioned.