Sophomore Bebe Engel spends her summers wisely.  Whether it’s going the Maui Surfer Girls surf camp in Hawaii, going to Colorado with her family, or watching Khan Academy videos, she likes to be productive during the summer.

Around this time of year, students all over the country start to think about what they’ll do with their summer.  With a three month break, it’s easy to fall into a routine of staying up too late, sleeping in too late, and watching TV all day.  It’s good to take a break from high-stress atmospheres, but sometimes summers turn out to be less productive as planned.

Some students at CHS go on exotic vacations, participate in academic programs, do mission work in a foreign country, take a summer school class, hang out with friends, or relax in preparation for the upcoming school year.  “Another thing I’ve been looking into doing is a student ambassador program in Europe which I was nominated for,” Engel said.  Programs like these all over the world are also popular choices for students.  In planning for the summer, students carefully think about all their options.

There is also the college process that many Clayton students spend time on during the summer.  Some students study for the ACT or SAT, practice writing a college essay, or go on college visits to explore different schools.  “I always try and do some school related stuff during the summer either SAT or ACT studying…It makes me feel productive,” Engel says.  Prospective student-athletes go to camps through different clubs or universities.

Summer school is often something that CHS students participate in as well.  Whether students need to take the required personal finance course, a required history course, or are just interested in a certain subject, there are many students that choose to attend summer school.

Mission work is another discussed topic among students.  In the past, some CHS students have gone to a foreign country to do mission work.  There are many different types of programs ranging from working at an orphanage in Thailand to teaching english to students in Costa Rica.  This is also a way that students get volunteer hours.

Whatever it is that students do over the summer, they typically link their passions into their activities.  “During the summer I have so much free time so I spend it enjoying my passions and some things that I am typically too busy to do…I take lots of photos,” Engel says. Like Engel says, summer is a time to enjoy things that you can’t do during the school year, and explore some of the interests you might have.