Sterling High School Key Club developing future community leaders

STERLING – Sterling High School’s Key Club does more than provide a space for students to come together; it is shaping future leaders and community advocates.

The Key Club is a student-led organization promoting community service, leadership and volunteerism to high school students. It is directly connected with Kiwanis of Sterling, which is a local chapter of Kiwanis International, a global organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and communities.

SHS biology teacher Marissa Record oversees the Key Club’s 28 members, whom she said recently made blankets for expectant mothers and their newborns at Sterling’s CGH Medical Center.

“The Sterling Schools Foundation was nice enough to loan us the building for the day, and we just had a big craft party and made blankets,” Record said. ”We also did a hygiene drive for the YWCA, an animal shelter drive and other random acts of kindness."

Current Key Club President Eleanor Aitken enjoys writing random notes with positive affirmations and key-related puns and giving them to teachers. A self-professed “environmental nerd,” Aitken graduates this year with plans to attend the University of Wisconsin, where she will study environmental education and interpretation with an end goal of becoming a national park ranger.

“The community gives us so much that I love giving back and watching it thrive under a little bit of volunteering,” Aitken said. “Just a little goes such a long way. The club has been great for me and the community, and I’m excited to get more students involved.”

The group meets once a month with the Sterling Kiwanis to give an update on their activities and discuss future community events and club initiatives. Record said one of the club’s goals is to connect more with the Kiwanis Club.

“The Kiwanis are our anchor,” Record said. “Plus, they have been wanting to increase the number of adults joining the Kiwanis. They want younger blood to come and be a part of that community because once they age out, they don’t want to leave it hanging. We’re trying to do the same with Key Club. So, we’re both on this journey of becoming better known in our community.”

To help become better community leaders, Record said, the Key Club officers plan to attend a three-day student leadership conference in Springfield later this year. She said the trip was made possible thanks to funding from the Sterling Kiwanis, SSF and the community.

“This is the first time we’ve gone, and the students are excited,” Record said. “They’re going to learn all about their roles, ways they can impact the community that don’t cost anything, and how to become more effective leaders.”

By the end of the school year, Aitken hopes to raise enough money to send the entire club to Springfield in 2026.

For more information on how your student can join SHS’s Key Club, call Record at 815-625-6800, ext. 1141.