For the 2023-2024 school year, the Associated Student Body has approved 29 new clubs. The Accolade’s cub reporters from the beginning journalism class will report on each new group in alphabetical order. For the previous ones that have already been posted, be sure to go to the Feature section.
To pursue her college goal of majoring in the medical field, senior Prysilla Ahn said she reached out to an organization last April to see if she could gain some experience and learn about what it’s like working in the health care industry.
“I just came across the Eye Matter organization through my mom’s co-worker, and I reached out to the founder, and she was like, ‘You can start volunteering,’” Ahn said.
Once she made contact with the founder, Yale student Anjal Jain, the senior said she agreed to join two Zoom meetings with Jain after school to discuss organizing a one-day summer camp held at Santa Ana-based Beyond Blindness. And on Thursday, July 27, she volunteered from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., working with visually impaired children on arts and crafts projects with an environmental theme.
“It feels fulfilling that I did this because I was able to give these young children an enjoyable day and get to know them in a meaningful way,” said Ahn, who is also a special events commissioner for the Associated Student Body [ASB].
Her experience with Eye Matter ended up sparking an idea to start a chapter of the same name at Sunny Hills so Ahn’s peers can also gain similar experiences interacting with visually impaired children.
“It was briefly mentioned [in one of the Zoom meetings with Jain] that I would like to create a charter club, but it was … approved by her through a phone call after the [summer] camp,” Ahn said. “I gave her a phone call about a week before school, and we discussed about what I would do as the president of the charter club.”
The senior then presented her proposal for the club to the ASB in September, and it got final approval later that month, she said.
Since its inception, Eye Matter has provided opportunities for its 15-20 members to attend two off-campus activities similar to what Ahn did at the summer, one-day camp at Beyond Blindness. The most recent event was held Saturday, Dec. 16, at Beyond Blindness, and each volunteer was paired up with a visually impaired child and worked on various winter holiday-themed arts and crafts projects such as a Styrofoam holiday tree, Ahn said.
“I think this club is really fun and engaging because I find myself connecting with these young kids while also being able to educate them about their own health through fun activities,” said club member senior Daniel Yun, who found out about the club through its president since they are friends.
During club meetings on campus, Ahn said she usually shares information about upcoming art camp events — the next one being in March.
Though she will not be able to run the club after she graduates in May, the president said she hopes non-senior members will see its importance and keep Eye Matter going next year and beyond.
“Through art we are able to help [children] connect with people and be able to enjoy these simple activities,” Ahn said. “We hope to help them find something to enjoy and love [through future interactions].”
Eye Matter meets every other Thursday during lunch in Room 104. For more information, contact Ahn at [email protected].
