The senior class of 2025 is nothing short of admirable, though one senior in particular makes this evidently clear–Claire Brenner exemplifies the very definition of “involved.”
Claire is the dive team captain at Adams, in which she aims to create a supportive and encouraging environment for her teammates, emphasizing the importance of mindset in a mentality-based sport. She’s also a high school intern for the Notre Dame student government and their department of community outreach, where she provides insight for Notre Dame students on how they can positively impact the city’s community. On top of these demanding extracurriculars, she’s the treasurer for the John Adams senior student government, a representative for National Honor Society, a manager for the Quiz Bowl team and the co-president of Spanish Honor Society and Spanish Club.
One of Claire’s greatest accomplishments at Adams was joining the dive team. Her positive attitude when diving has pushed both her teammates and herself to success during competition season. Alongside leading the divers, as a representative for NHS, she was in charge of helping plan their annual spring 2024 project, the “Empower Women” fundraiser. Their support raised over 2000 dollars for St. Margaret’s House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to homeless women and children, after selling dozens of bags of secondhand clothing to the students here at Adams.
To Claire, being involved means being able to meet people with similar passions and interests, as well as gaining new knowledge and perspectives. She states, “From being involved in so many extracurriculars, I have learned that delegation is not a sign of weakness. I used to take on as many tasks as possible in all of my clubs: telling myself that because I could, I had to. And from being in so many groups while being a full IB student, I was spread absurdly thin.” Overcommitment is an issue for many IB students, particularly those who also have a lively extracurricular life–however, Claire continues, “over time I learned that sharing responsibility with your peers allows you to pour more passion into projects you truly care about, while remaining active and a leader in said extracurriculars.”
In her high school years, Claire says she’s learned to be more unapologetically herself. Though starting freshman year quite timid and seeking a fresh start, her teachers and friends over the past four years have pushed her to thrive in the multitudes of communities offered at Adams. In light of struggling to balance her full-IB academic schedule with various clubs and extracurriculars, her advice to underclassmen is to learn to prioritize what they truly care about and to always make time for themselves.
Looking toward the future, Claire will be attending the University of Notre Dame. After interning for over a year with their student government and visiting South Africa with other aspiring students throughout July 2024, it’s no wonder Notre Dame was keen on recruiting Claire to their class of ‘29. She plans to major in Global Affairs, then promptly travel the world. Her experience at Adams aids in her desire to pursue this major; from being born and raised in South Bend and attending a small private school for nine years, she felt as though everyone knew everyone. Choosing to attend Adams and being surrounded by people with all different backgrounds and stories made her realize she wants to spend her life forming and fostering connections.
Claire Brenner’s time at Adams will soon be brought to a close, but it’s clear the academia of Notre Dame will only cultivate her ability to form connections wherever finds herself!
