KAITLIN KIERNAN

Highly organized and productive student who always puts school first. Looking to achieve a masters degree in either communications or journalism to eventually have a journalistic/writing career. Willing to push limits and thrive in a new environment in any way possible, and adapts to change extremely well. Always desires to find new ways to help out in the community, and participates in community service activities nearly every month of the year while balancing school, work, and fitness due to a love for the environment.

Yearbook, (08/01/22-Present) Yearbook is what got me started down the journalism rabbit-hole. I love writing more than anything, and have always been a distinguished English student. From yearbook, I learned communication skills as you have to be able to speak to the entire student body as you are putting a book together for their high school years, teamwork, online design, how to write proper articles, photography, interviewing skills, and how to manage high levels of stress. As mentioned, I have also been named the Editor-In-Chief for the 2024-2025 school year, serving as Sports Editor the 2023-2024 school year.

UNICEF, (08/01/23-Present) UNICEF is such an eye-opening experience, I learned a lot about the realism of the rights of children around the world and why it is important to preserve these rights, and I served as the communications officer for the club, running our social media pages and email due to my preferred major. 

Cardz for Kidz, (11/01/23-Present) I am the president and founder of Cardz for Kidz, a club that makes cards to send away to children or adults who are in hospitals and are in need of spirit lifting. I love this club and all this organization does because it brings together a wide variety of people from different grades and makes people feel good about a service they are doing for their community. We have done one fundraiser where we raised $100 last year for the organization and plan on doing many more this year. 

 Student Advocacy Board, (01/01/24-Present) This club was created by students and approved by the Calvert County Board of Education to give students a voice in the school community, which has built again my teamwork skills and I have learned a great deal about things the entire student body agrees on that needs changes to ensure a safe and happy school community through round table events.

ASL Club, (08/01/24-present) I took ASL all throughout high school, but did not have space to join the club until my senior year. This club pulls people together from different grades and levels of ASL and helps us all gain practice outside of the classroom. I am serving as secretary for the 2024-2025 school year, managing our budget and helping us find beneficial fundraising options.

Psychology Club (08/01/24-present) I decided to take AP Psychology this year, and wanted a chance to grow more outside of the classroom. This club raises awareness for mental health and why our brains function like they do as teenagers, while also doing community service and holding events such as mental health fairs each school year with prizes and incentives for learning about the importance of mental health and managing stress. 

Best Buddies (08/01/24-present) Best Buddies is a club to bring people with disabilities together with non-disabled individuals in the school community. We play fun team-building games, and hold things such as craft fairs and fundraising events at restaurants.

National Honors Society (08/01/24-present) A group of honored individuals who partake in and plan community service activities throughout the year and learn the values of teamwork in an outside of school setting.

Soccer (Maryland Elite SC and Calvert Soccer Association 2019-2024) and Junior Varsity soccer (2021-2023) 

Going to the gym brings me such joy as it is a positive space for me to spend time with myself while growing my body physically and my mind mentally. Spending time with my friends, whether it is staying in or going out, always helps me when I need guidance and comfort. My friends are genuinely the best people I have ever met, and we have all been friends since middle school. They are the longest and best relationship I have had with anyone, and any person could tell you just how much they mean to me. Reading is another one of my hobbies. I love a good book, and I have read about 15 over the past year. I love the idea of annotating a book and diving deeper into what the true meaning could possibly be. Reading is the best food for the brain, and has provided me with such knowledge and academic strength. My favorite novel I have read is Where the Crawdads Sing, a very distinguished, beautiful book in its own. Music is also food for my brain, as I thoroughly enjoy it and could speak about my favorite artists and songs for weeks without getting bored. I listen to music constantly, and it has helped me through some of my roughest times. Singing a good song in my car will always prevail as the highlight of my day. Work is my last big hobby. I spend so much time at work and honestly, I do not mind it at all. I love my coworkers and my managers absolutely adore me and have nothing but amazing things to say about me. I am most energetic at work, and give customers everything I have to ensure they have a phenomenal dining experience. I also love making money because I know I need to be able to support myself as an adult, and I already have over 5k saved up on my own since I began working in 2022 and I have never once maxed out a credit card or anything of that sort. Overall, my hobbies mean so much to me, and keep my mental and physical health on the rise.