Emma Okamura Continues Her Legacy as a Student Leader

0
514
Concert time!// Taking pictures with her friends, Emma Okamura, 12, anticipates attending a BTS concert. BTS is one of Okamura’s favorite bands, and this was one of her favorite memories to look back on. (Photo courtesy of Emma Okamura)

by Tainá Queiroz Fonseca

Coronado high school’s class of 2023 has a lot to show for their hard work. There are those who are top students, those who are student leaders, and those who devote their time to volunteering. Some are all three—notably, Emma Okamura. 

Okamura is a seventeen-year-old half-Japanese and half-Korean student at Coronado high school. Ever since her first year, Emma has been thoroughly involved with her school and community. Emma is student body Vice President II and part of the Student Council. She took up many leadership roles throughout high school through clubs and organizations.

“One of the many organizations I am part of at Coronado is Student Council,” senior Emma Okamura said. “Not only that, but I’ve also served as the Key Club president during the 2021-2022 school year. This year I have joined more cultural clubs and am now the tech editor for Asian Student Alliance and a regular member of Korean Club.” 

More than simply being a part of these organizations is required for Okamura. She spends most of her time taking leadership roles, organizing events, and helping her peers and community members. 

“I am involved with my community through the opportunities I get through my community service clubs,” Okamura said. “I have organized a StuCo event where we partnered with other schools to make over 400 hygiene kits for those in need, I also had the opportunity to assist my community by helping out at fall festivals for our local elementary schools and partnering with them to organize food and toy drives during the holidays.” 

Emma Okamura has continuously proved herself to be a role model for all students, yet she is much more than she seems to be. Okamura may be highly involved with STEM classes, cultural clubs, and volunteering, but she also has a highly creative side. Okamura enjoys using her free time to pursue her creative talents, such as crocheting, painting, and digital art. 

“I always have an unfinished project tucked away in my desk that I work on in between assignments or other arrangements I have during the day,” Okamura said. “I think this may be a lesser known fact because, at school, I rarely have time to express those artistic interests since I’m typically working on assignments that require more critical thinking rather than artistic expression.”

High school is an excellent time to explore your interests and have fun with your friends, like in the movies. Unfortunately, it’s also a time when most students experience a phenomenon called ‘drama’ (like in the movies). Every teenager experiences drama in high school, whether with friends or romantic interests; there’s no way you can escape it. But with challenges come valuable lessons. With that being said, Emma Okamura was able to escape the drama and reflect on her new profound understanding of friendships. 

“One of the biggest lessons that high school has taught me was the value of friends,” Okamura said. “As long as you are able to surround yourself with people who you feel comfortable with and who will support you, everything will be easier. Even if things get difficult with teachers or assignments, you can always find comfort in your friends. If you have people who make you feel good about yourself, you are less affected by what other people think of you, and you stop worrying so much about the people who distract you from achieving what you want.”

It’s no question that this senior is surely going far after graduation. This small snapshot of Emma Okamura’s accomplishments will surely motivate future seniors at Coronado. For now, Okamura continues her journey of choosing what to pursue in her college career, but we’ll all be cheering her on as she does.