Bittersweet

Sara Z., the Co-President of the Sanford H. Calhoun High School chapter, reflects on a remarkable service year and all that her chapter has accomplished during the pandemic! She also discusses her goals for this upcoming school year, what GG means to her, and her hopes for the future.

As the school year ends, so does this year's chapter. The Calhoun chapter has had a very successful year during these trying times. We've come together and embraced the fact that we needed to connect with the seniors we've gotten to know and love in a different way. Together, we wrote over 500 #MyDearFriend cards, split between two major local senior homes. I am so proud of my chapter members for staying committed to the club during the pandemic and all that came with it. This year, we were able to connect with new senior homes, write cards, and celebrate holidays as a chapter which was so amazing. We are so lucky that our school was in-person and we were still allowed to meet, and that local senior homes were so welcoming and appreciative.

Next year, my co-president and I will be seniors, so we are dedicated to making it the most memorable year yet. We've been leading Calhoun's chapter since our sophomore year, so GG has become such a huge part of our high school experiences and extracurricular endeavors. We hope to resume makeovers, attend events, and organize fundraisers next year! A goal of ours is to raise money for the original senior home we visit to update the salon room where we do our makeovers! This way future generations of Calhoun GG members have a nice place to continue makeovers and residents have a welcoming and encouraging space to connect with GG chapter members. Also, since we're seniors we'll be able to now attend GG events that we've been too young to commute to ourselves in the past. I still remember the day the chapter leaders passed down a GG tote to Lauren and me, symbolizing passing down the chapter, and it's such a bittersweet feeling to know that we will have to do that next year. Before then though, we look forward to hopefully carrying out our ambitious goals and applying for GG scholarships and recommendation letters!

I would definitely want to continue GG in college. This organization has meant so much to me and my high school experience in general. It has taught me so much about myself and others with its awesome opportunities and leadership experience. I can't wait for what the future holds! :) I attached one of my favorite pictures from sophomore year (pre-pandemic when we could have makeovers) for memories!!