The Highlander Stories Club will hold its interest meeting on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 3:15 pm. Started by a group of five juniors, the club originated from a fundraising event for N-95 masks in the spring of 2020.

“I, along with a couple of other students, held online seminars to share our high school lives to Chinese parents and students who were interested in studying abroad,” said junior Jiaying Li, president of Highlander Stories Club. “We asked for a voluntary donation. In the end we bought and donated 200 KN-95 masks to the Suburban Hospital in Maryland.”

The group first aimed to help Chinese study-abroad students adjust to American schools; however, starting the school year online directed their focus to McLean. The club hopes to bring students together and to build an interconnected community during a time when there is a lack of communication between students.

Students and teachers can share their daily life or their unique backgrounds through interviews, presentations, videos, animations and present them during club meetings. They will sign up through a form, and the club leaders will help students edit their video and article projects and post them on the club’s social media accounts. 

“We will gather materials before club meetings. For example, somebody could film their day. Maybe they play the violin and are really dedicated to that. Then they could make a vlog of their practice schedule,” junior and founding member Songhan Pang said. “During that meeting, they can share the vlog and a recording of their performance.”

During the interest meeting this Thursday after school, the leadership team will go over their club information and meeting schedule.

Students interested in joining can follow the club’s instagram @highlanderstories, email them at [email protected] and join their Google Classroom at qff75rn.

“We each have unique stories that form our identities—even if that’s watching Netflix or doing hobbies at home,” Pang said. “Highlander Stories Club hopes to intertwine the narratives of McLean to build a positive and interconnected environment. However exciting or meaningful it may be, your story matters, and we’d love to support you in sharing it.”

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