On the Cover: Interactive Leadership

     "Knowing that you affected someone's life in a positive way and that you've made some kind of contribution to the community is what's rewarding to me," says Silan Yip, a senior at Sarasota’s Pine View School—a public school for gifted students in second through 12th grades. Yip maintains a 3.6 GPA, works at a local restaurant, and serves as co-president of Pine View’s 76-member Interact Club. Last year, she led Interact to complete 22 projects and to win "The Most Enthusiastic Club Award" and a $175 bonus from Youth Service America for the group’s participation in YSA’s National Youth Service Day program.
     Though Interact is primarily a community service organization, members also support the performing arts. "Every year, the club puts on a ‘Battle of the Bands,’" says Yip, 17. "It's a small concert with local student music groups, and it's our biggest fund-raiser. We charge admission and have a concession stand—we made over $2,000!" The students also work as ushers during the Sarasota Film Festival. "The members really like it, because they get to meet some semi-famous people—it's fun for them."
     While the group doesn’t focus on just one philanthropy, Yip says the club tries to concentrate on children. "For example, we've helped with foster children for the past two years," she says. "Foster children from Sarasota go to the YMCA during the winter, and we give them holiday presents. One of the projects I really felt made a big impact was when we painted a rec room at the community center for the kid's football program," Yip says. "It was such a dramatic change. A lot of them don't have a clean, nice place to go."
     Interact Club also spends time with the younger kids at Pine View. "We work with other groups at school such as the National Junior Honor Society for freshman and eighth graders," Yip says. "We team up with these clubs to do projects that help the school such as cleaning and painting the buildings." Interact Club also hosted a holiday project resulting in every resident at a local nursing home receiving at least one item of clothing. "I helped to do a clothing drive for senior citizens, because seniors don't have a lot of money and they need things, too," Yip says.
     From the start of her freshman year, Yip knew she wanted to get involved and give back to her community. She has served as NJHS parliamentarian, Spanish Club secretary, the technical and photo editor of Pine View School's newspaper Torch, and Student Government secretary. Yip also was Supreme Court Justice at "Girls State"—a national program giving women the opportunity to learn about government and is an active member of the National Art Honor Society.
     With a variety of leadership roles behind her, Yip took on the Interact Club presidency her junior year. "My older brother Juan suggested I join Interact Club," she says. "The Interact community was genuinely friendly, and I immediately got the sense that I belonged." So that she doesn’t spread herself too thin, Yip plans to focus her senior year on Interact, Mu Alpha Theta—a club for outstanding math students, NAHS, and Varsity Cross Country for which she received the "Most Dedicated Award" as a junior. "Last year was hectic and I don't want to overdo it," says Yip, who adds there's nothing special about how she juggles responsibilities. "I use a calendar and stick to it."
     Yip says her involvement in Interact Club will help her in the future no matter what career she chooses. "I think Interact has helped me with public relations, speaking to people of all ages—kids and adults—and basic organization and planning," Yip says. "Maybe, I'll be in Rotary, but I definitely have plans to continue volunteering. It’s very rewarding to help others, so I don’t need much motivation to continue doing these projects." She also says Interact Club is unlike any other service organization. "We work with our sponsor club Rotary," Yip says. "It's not just for kids—after you get out of high school, the club is still there."
     Though Yip leads Interact, she's quick to add that she can't take all the credit for the group's accomplishments. "With Interact Club, it's not that difficult to motivate people, because they're there because they want to be there," Yip says. "I have a wonderful club with dedicated members. I also have the guidance of two sponsors and a strong executive board. It also helps to talk to members one on one—it makes the relationship more personal. I'm not just a figure telling them what to do."
     Visit www.rotary.org for more information about Interact Club, or contact Yip at sifi19@hotmail.com