Extracurricular activities are one of the highlights of any school career. Just going to school and going home at the end of the day is monotonous and kills a student's drive to learn. Two ways I express myself in extracurriculars are photography and theatre. These after-school things helped me to rebuild a sense of belonging after the 2020 pandemic. I am very involved with my school's fine arts program, despite not being a fine arts student. I help with the theatre productions most of the time. I am in my second year of helping with the tech crew. I believe I benefit from the little community of friends I built during my time there. There is never a small role in the theatre, and the crew is no exception. Work calls and dress rehearsals are the most crucial events in the theatre season. I am trusted with the responsibility that comes with my role, and I always see fit to deliver. I also do many things for the photography club at school. It is a good way to get practice with my camera and get service hours as well. It also helps to get recognition for my talents. Photography is a hobby I picked up in 2020 which I continued to work on. That seemed to be the only good thing to come out of the pandemic. 2021 was a struggle for me. Coming out of the pandemic into my sophomore year was a harsh transition. On top of that, I transferred to a new school. I had no friends and no community. Then I started to put in the effort. I made friends in classes, which led to hanging out after school. This led to finding extracurricular activities. All of this led to more friends and more community. I feel that I give to these communities by just reaching out and making an effort. Without that effort, they would be short a helping hand, and I would be a few friends poorer. School is not just a place to learn. It is where a majority of a child's development happens. To limit that to only classwork and homework is to limit that growth. After-school activities allow for that growth outside of the school structure. It is a chance for students to do what they enjoy and make friends outside of school. These friendships could last them far into their distant future. The only way to know for sure is to take that step.