Citizens of Metea is a club that allows students to get involved in their community. It is an outlet to voice opinions from each member. Specifically, this club encourages speaking about current events and bipartisan political issues. To learn more about Citizens of Metea and their projects, read on about their experiences and time participating in the club.

“I would recommend [Citizens of Metea for] anyone interested in getting involved In their community! It is a really great club for everyone,” senior Nethra Yuvaraj said.

Yuvaraj is the events and communications director for Citizens of Metea, which means that she plans events and makes sure everyone in the team is kept in the loop on upcoming plans. Her favorite project was the tree planting project.

“We were able to plant buddy, a redbud tree, on Metea grounds,” Yuvaraj said. “It was really fun to dig up the soil and contribute to making the earth greener.”

Senior Neha Tokala, one of the co-chairs alongside senior Sanjana Singh, then shared her favorite project from Citizens of Metea.

“The most memorable project we [Citizens of Metea] have created is the new Student Committee with the IPSD 204 School Board,” Tokala said. “For the first time, students from the three Valley high schools will have direct communication and input with the School Board Members.”

According to Tokala, Citizens of Metea hopes to bridge the divide between both the school board members and students. She wants to further advocate for student issues and needs. With the help of advisor Susan Fuhrer, Citizens of Metea has someone to help coach their student-led projects.

“The person we look up to the most is Mrs. Fuhrer. Over the past two years, she has put in so much hard work to build the foundation of the club, and it could not have been successful without her,” Tokala said.

There are also many members who have made memorable changes in Citizens of Metea. Yuvaraj then shares one person specifically she looks up to.

“I looked up to an old member, Ijeoma Ogbonna, who is now graduated. She was the co-chair last year of the club, but she founded it. And she organized a lot of events and voiced her support of the BLM movement, which was inspiring,” Yuvaraj said.

If you are passionate about student voice and community engagement, Tokala recommends considering joining Citizens of Metea during students’ remaining years at Metea.

“It is an opportunity to branch out into the world of civics and politics and have a platform to address student and community-related issues,” Tokala said.