Students at Olentangy Liberty High School are making a big impact in the community. Rising senior Allison Ho founded a program called After the Bell, which aims to provide support for kids navigating school and all the challenges it brings. They host community events to get students involved in activities outside of school.

Recently, they hosted a hike at Highbanks Metro Park where students walked for a couple hours and discussed their summer plans. After the Bell is a great place for students to relieve stress and interact with some of their peers. The club started in April, and since then, members have managed to host three meaningful events. During their first event, the club officers met with other students and made posters for their summer goals. Their second event was making arts and crafts. The students decorated cards for elderly residents at a local nursing home.

After the Bell was inspired by Ho’s own personal high school struggles.

“I had no one to guide me, such as changing classes, failing tests, and even friendship problems,” Ho said. “However, I reached out to my cousins who are a couple of years older than me. … Without them, I truly do not know how I could’ve had the mental toughness to continue my rigorous schedule. So, I am hoping that our organization can be that mentor for younger students and that our high school volunteers can all feel supported through each other.”

Although After the Bell is a fairly new program, the group is already making moves within the high school. The club has managed to establish a team of students who help it run smoothly. Sophomore William Wang is the secretary of After the Bell. He helps with creating documents and forms for the club, as well as making sure the environment is an encouraging place for everyone. Wang emphasizes the program’s goal to make Powell a great place for students.

“As a track athlete at Olentangy Liberty, our coaches have this statement called, ‘Leave it better than we found it,’” Wang said. “This statement is very similar to my driving purpose for After the Bell. I want to leave Powell better than when I arrived seven years ago, and with After the Bell, I want to leave behind a continuous cycle of high school students supporting younger students.”

Students at Olentangy Liberty can get involved in the After the Bell program by filling out an application to become a mentor. A link to the application can be found in the bio of the club’s Instagram page @afterthebellprogram.

Kristine Anyanechi is an intern for The Gazette.