While you probably came to TMCC for the classes, what might make your memories at TMCC more memorable are the student activities and clubs in which you participate. After all, our most meaningful experiences happen through shared experiences with friends and community–and it is through the combined efforts that we can begin to truly make a positive difference in the world. TMCC High School junior Genevieve Burbano (who is dually enrolled at TMCC) learned this firsthand when she got involved with TMCC’s Business and Entrepreneurship Club this semester when she attended a meeting thanks to the encouragement of BE Club Faculty Advisor Kofi Poku last semester.
A student in Poku’s marketing class, Burbano was encouraged to join the BE Club in order to get more experience in the business and marketing fields, where she sees her career taking her after she completes her college education. During that first BE Club meeting, however, a vacant position for Club Vice President was announced and Burbano stepped forward to fill the role.
Since, she has been spearheading a community service project in which the BE Club collected materials for and created hygiene kits that were delivered to Wizards’s Warehouse and the Eddy House. “We raised funds, sourced materials, assembled the kits and delivered them,” she said. In addition to supporting those in need, the BE Club selected these two organizations for their unique relationship with TMCC.
“We wanted to help support our TMCC community. And the Eddy House helps young adults rise out of homelessness through proactive programs that can include education at the college level,” she said.
Opportunities to Get Involved
The BE Club is one of many Recognized Student Organizations at TMCC that can offer you unique ways to become a leader while fostering your interests, hobbies and passions. Whether it's Political Science, Architecture, or Nursing, there are many clubs available for you to join where you can meet other TMCC students and faculty who share your interests.
Megan Rios is the Club President of the TMCC Lambda Nu Honor Society, a club for students in the Radiologic Technology Program. “She shows leadership in all that she does,” said Rori Wilkis, Radiologic Technology Program Director. “She has worked tirelessly and has been pivotal in gaining SGA funding to enable Lambda Nu students to participate in the ACERT Student Conference in Las Vegas. She is also a fantastic example of student leadership.”
Rios’ first act as Lambda Nu Club President was to collect and organize donations from local hospitals for Karma Boxes in the Reno and Sparks communities. “This project helped so many people,” Wilkis said.
For veteran-students, TMCC’s Truckee Meadows Veterans Club offers an inclusive environment in which veterans can network with one another, access college and community supports and more. “The support we receive from our advisor has already landed chapter members jobs, internships and university admissions,” wrote TMVC member John Fenton of Club Faculty Advisor Felipe Gutierrez De Alba. “The TMVC is a place that provides peer support and accepts all students.”
But…Why Clubs?
While classes are the element of your college experience that fill your transcripts, experiences and activities with clubs can help to round out your resume, showing employers that you’re not only book-smart but that you have the initiative to get the job done. Clubs also offer you the opportunity to hone your communication and interpersonal skills, to network with other students, faculty and community members and gain real, hands-on experience in a specialized domain.
Whether you join a club that aligns with your major or your passion, there’s one guarantee: you’re going to learn and grow not only in what you know but what you’ve experienced. And that is definitely worth your time and effort.
Don’t believe us? Then, hear it from Burbano who will be the President of TMCC’s BE Club next year. “Overall, I am very grateful to have this wonderful BE Club community to support and encourage me as I pursue my education and career goals,” she said.
For more information about Recognized Student Organizations at TMCC, contact the Student Government Association at 775-673-7203.