By Arienne Calingo

Inside the café, I observe a teenager shift between typing furiously and scrolling through Google. I overhear her mention volunteering. Her friend clasps and unclasps her hands with a furrowed brow. “I can’t find anything!” she exclaims. They ignore their frappuccinos. Their iced, blended coffee drinks can wait.

With the shock of COVID-19, I have witnessed my students face similar struggles within and beyond classroom instruction and exams. As an admissions consultant here in Dubai, advising students on applying to the Ivy League and other top universities in the United States, I have observed how they have faced either adapting their extracurricular activities online or putting them on hold indefinitely. Many students are studying their SAT and ACT prep virtually, while others hunt for future scholarships and other financial aid remotely as well.

However, potential remains to discover virtual extracurricular activities, ranging from creating a personal art project to gaining clinical exposure to healthcare in a developing country. I asked some of my students to offer a sneak peek of the exciting, virtual opportunities they have pursued during this tumultuous time. Below are some of their responses.

Volunteer Work: Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children

“Over the summer, I participated in the Virtual Global Health Volunteer Experience, organized by the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC). As someone who seeks to pursue medicine in the future, I was drawn to FIMRC because of its dedication to providing healthcare to underprivileged families in third-world countries. I chose to focus on FIMRC’s work in Uganda, volunteering for their project titled, ‘Project Bududa.’ I completed a research project through which I designed a visually-appealing graphic addressing a health issue in Uganda; my work will be used in the education of young children and even adults in the country. I felt that I was able to offer a tangible impact in the Ugandan community, despite being stuck at home behind my computer.” - Karen Helou, Class of 2022

Entrepreneurship: Fashion Design Portfolio Development

“Given my avid interest in fashion design, I devote time every week to design my own T-shirts and hoodies. To create my designs, I use Autodesk SketchBook on my iPad, and I also learned design application software such as Rhinoceros 3D, Adobe InDesign, and Autodesk Fusion 360. The name of my brand is KYO, derived from the Japanese word for ‘intense.’ My goal is to expand my business through social media and continue building a strategy that reflects my brand identity. I believe that my passion for fashion design and firm commitment to developing my brand have given me the motivation to find virtual means to further my pursuits, despite the pandemic. To check out my designs, you can follow my Instagram page @kyo.retsuna.” - Adam Eustace, Class of 2022

Learning: UC Berkeley Extension

“During the summer, I chose to further explore my intended major, Economics, in order to prepare me for university-level work while deepening my interest in the subject. I am particularly interested in finance; therefore, I decided to participate in an online credit course titled ‘Intro to Corporate Finance’ offered by an American university’s outreach program, UC Berkeley Extension. Through this course I was able to gain educational insight into what a university major in Economics with a concentration in Finance would entail. I gained a plethora of essential skills, such as calculating a firm’s weighted cost of capital and evaluating the capital structure of a firm through a combination of lectures, tests, and one-on-one phone calls with the professor. This eventually led to me achieving an A grade in the course along with credits applicable to university while also confirming my ambition to pursue finance — all from the comfort of my bedroom.” - Zunaira Nader, Class of 2020

These are just a few examples of some of the engaging virtual extracurricular activities out there. Hopefully, these ideas serve as a launch pad to discovering an opportunity that is right for you — without having to worry about your frappuccino melting!

- Hale Education Group