When you pass through the hallways of Norwood High, you might see many familiar faces, or maybe you even see some people who you don’t recognize walking by on their way to class.
Among these students is Junior Joann Yamoah, who takes on an overwhelming number of extracurricular activities and responsibilities, and has a genuine interest in helping others in her community.
Some of the responsibilities Yamoah takes on in her spare time are working as a youth leader at her church, Junior Student Council President, a youth leader for the local organization Impact Norwood that focuses on keeping our community healthy and drug-free, and a youth leader for MassCall 3B Cluster, a youth substance abuse prevention program that combines students from the towns of Avon, Easton, Norwood, and Stoughton.
On top of all that, Yamoah also takes 6 AP classes (including one online environmental science course), plays two varsity sports, one in the winter and one in the fall, and additionally, sings acapella.
When asked what motivates her to fill her schedule with these numerous activities, Joann shares, “What motivates me is just being able to see how I can impact my community with all of my positions that I’ve had. I’ve been able to meet so many amazing people in this community and have [heard] so many stories from them.”
Yamoah describes the projects that she is most passionate about being involved in inside and outside of her community.
“[As a leader of Mass3], we come together to talk about advocating for and advocating against youth substance use, and we work for the state. I also host a lot of … and fundraisers throughout the year for various projects but then also to just give back to my town.”
However, for Yamoah, juggling priorities is bound to be a struggle.
“Just learning to prioritize school work has been one of my challenges because with all of these activities– some are back-to-back in a day– and then I have to get home, shower, eat dinner, and then it’s 10:00 and I remember I have schoolwork!”
In a situation like this, Yamoah recommends planning out a schedule and learning how to manage your time, and decide which activities you want to prioritize the most.
“Opportunities that you love to do, sometimes you can’t do, and that’s why you have to choose which ones you want to stick with. I’ve been a part of Impact Norwood since seventh grade– so about six years now– and I always stuck with it”
Yamoah also attributes her drive to keep going to the positive impact and unity spawned as a result of the projects she has worked on in previous years.
“We did a food drive my freshman year… with the middle school and high school and we were able to receive a lot of food donations. There was a big box at the High School and at the Balch… and it was just amazing because at the Balch, the principal was telling me how the first graders were trying to donate their snacks which was so adorable and it’s just teaching kids that you can help out even if you do something small,” she praised.
Learning more about your peers and what activities they take on outside of school is a vital part of forming better relationships and exploring options that you might want to explore outside of school as well.
For anyone wanting to dabble with taking on more responsibilities, look to your peers, members of your community, and teachers for help because someone will have or know of a possible position that might interest you. Talking to your guidance counselor in the guidance office might also offer some useful advice on expanding your horizons.
Additionally, Norwood High also sends out frequent emails with volunteer opportunities.
“You don’t really have to have a position to do something. You just have to have drive and the desire to make a change,” advises Yamoah.
