In search of more financially accessible resources, two juniors took initiative last school year to promote inclusivity and bridge financial barriers by creating the Student Support Club.
Co-Presidents Zaina Mohamed (she/her), 12 and Molly McLaughlin (she/her), 12, founded the SSC to fundraise for academic essentials, including school supplies, event tickets, athletic passes, AP exam fees and prom tickets.
“The Student Support Club fundraises for resources to make sure that everyone can afford a high school experience,” Mohamed said.
While the Liberty Fund provides a lot of financial assistance for student interests, Mohamed and McLaughlin found, in their partnership with the organization, that the absence of a student involvement sector in the organization made its relationship with students a more detached affiliation.
“They didn’t really focus on people on an individual level,” Mohamed said.
SSC aims to reach as many students as possible, focusing on people who fall on different ends of the financial need spectrum.
“Many people with free [and]reduced lunch or even in the gray area where they don’t qualify for free [and]reduced lunch but they’re in a financial situation where they can’t afford anything don’t have any help,” McLaughlin said.
The co-presidents wish students knew there were resources available to them, regardless of their financial stability, or lack thereof. SSC continues to be a space for community engagement and a testament to student perseverance, whether it’s through hosting fundraisers or simply attending the Wednesday meetings during Liberty time.
SSC hopes to continue its initiative in future years as the leaders search for successors to handle the responsibilities of the club.
“We’re graduating, so we need someone to make sure that this club is still going to be running because we want to make sure people still have the resources they need,” Mohamed said.
Despite its recent launch, SSC continues to make an impact at Liberty as it continues to address a great roadblock for many students.
