Adam Gadit

Executive Board members brought medical props for members to explore and interact with, such as a CPR dummy.

This past Thursday, September the 25th, South Windsor High School’s HOPE Club held its first meeting at the High School’s media center. The meeting served as a fun and engaging opening to the year for the club, attracting new and returning members for their shared interest in the medical field, as well as related fields.

The meeting aimed to give a detailed overview of the club, their activities, and goals for the year. Executive board members brought medical equipment and props as well, giving new members an engaging way to learn what to expect from the club.

“This is a club where anybody can come at any point even if it’s just one event that sounds really cool to you,” biology teacher and HOPE Club advisor, Ms. Karasinski said.

The meeting opened with a presentation that showed students the activities and events that the HOPE Club will be involved in throughout the school year. Among these were the blood drives and member practice sessions, among other events.

In addition to these events, the HOPE Club works closely with the American Red Cross and National Marrow Donor Program, providing students with helpful and engaging ways to explore the medical field.

“This is a club where anybody can come at any point even if it’s just one event that sounds really cool to you,” Karasinski said.

The club has high hopes for the school year, hoping to improve club attendance, invite a more diverse set of guest speakers, etc. 

“Hopefully a lot of guest speakers, a lot of practice and that everyone just has fun,” South Windsor High School senior and HOPE Club Executive Board member, Holden Crane said.

Club advisor Ms. Karasinski plans to further diversify the club from just opportunities for the medical field, expanding to fields such as dentistry. By opening up the club to the interests of more students, the HOPE Club can acquire the

talents of more students to help with future events. 

“We’re always trying to look for new hands-on skills.” Karasinski said.

The executive board of the HOPE Club have expectations for this year as well. Despite the large number of members, events from previous years saw a lack of volunteers and attendance to key events for the club. 

Events such as the blood drive not only help the club and the school, but also help others who require such donations. 

A new batch of members and exciting new plans are setting up the club for a fun year with plenty of new opportunities.